Memory Loss
by FindMeInTheDark
Summary: Time passes for everyone, but sometimes the things you fear have a way of coming back to you eventually. 20 years gone by and Bella's hiding a secret from the person she loves the most in plain view but she doesn't know how to tell him truth about it all.
1. Unexpected Guests

**I do not own the rights to Twilight, nor did I write the original story - all credit must go to Stephenie Meyer. This is all for fun and games, to let us explore the endless depths of our minds and see what kind of half baked ideas we can cook up to let the world judge for themselves.**

**And now, on with the story...**

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**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 1 – Unexpected Guests**

_**Bella POV**_

Twenty years ago, I fell pregnant to my vampire lover while still human.

His name was Edward Cullen.

His family consisted of six others; Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper. I had met them when I came here to what was formerly known as the little rainy town of Forks, Washington when I was seventeen. I had known what they were the second I spotted them in the high school cafeteria the first day I arrived. But I had to have it confirmed by a Quileute boy on the reservation that I apparently knew as a child since the others were not here yet at the time.

Then my disastrous 18th birthday party happened, which was orchestrated by Alice herself. Her mate, Jasper, had attacked me when I had gotten a small paper cut, trying to open one of my presents. That same night I had my first and only time…Days later, he and his family left.

Then I realized I was pregnant with his baby girl…

The Cullen family themselves were not the first vampires that I had ever met. The first were a small coven, family, that apparently knew me from the day I was born.

But they were _more_ than just a coven of vampires to me. They were my long, lost family members...

Their surname, or sur_names_, is Volturi, Thorne, or van Hussein. All depends on who's talking to them.

The two siblings, Ashskhen and Nikolai, are the only children of the vampire ruler Aro. They are the true princess and prince of the vampire world.

Both have had a deep...hatred for him because of the things he has chosen to do in this life. They've only recently gained to trust Aro again just about 200 years ago. But it was reluctant apparently…

As I and my own siblings grew older, we learned everything about Ashskhen and Nikolai. They told us that over time their names became too old, too uncommon. So that's why their names are now Ashley and Nicolas. Ashley told me that they were both well over three millennia and that from the very beginning they always had an aversion to blood. _Any kind of blood…_ But they said that for nearly 500 years they had hunted animals as an alternative to the traditional way. So when I met the Cullens I was kind of surprised that they hunted animals too. They even called themselves vegetarians.

At one pointed I asked Nick why they were more human than all of the other vampires that we encountered in and around Phoenix. He said it was because once they stopped feeding 2500 years earlier and realized that there was no need to feed, no dependence on blood, normal human traits returned while some that they gained while in their new life were taken away. Like the eye color; it was no longer black or red or golden but the one they had while human. They are also able to walk out during day because their skin no longer sparkled in the light, but was still smooth and hard as marble.

When I was thirteen I remember asking Ashley if there were any rules in her world. She had said yes and that there was only one main one. She also said that she broke it. I of course asked her what it was. Ashley said to me, pulling me into her arms, "Isabella, the main rule is to keep my world secret from yours."

"You broke that rule…Why?" I remember asking. It didn't make sense that she did that at all.

She smiled at me in the mirror across from us on the wall. I had seen humor, happiness, but most of all love brewing in her eyes that day. Those same emotions were there all of the time to tell you the truth, but there was something different about it that day. It was like everything about her was brighter and more meaningful. Ashley's smile had become bigger and bigger until she was beaming. "Because, child, I'm your many times great aunt. My father would never begrudge me something like this for you are also his family." I blinked at our reflection confusedly, wondering how probable that could be. Then again, Ashley was well over three thousand years old and should be dead, but, yet, here she was looking like she was still twenty-four. _Anything could be possible._

"How am I related to you?" It had come out of my mouth without a second thought and I didn't regret it.

Ashley chuckled at me and pulled me tighter against her chest for a brief second. "Through my aunt Didyme, sweetie. She was ordered to be killed by her own _brother_ because of how close her mate, Marcus, was ready to leave the Volturi coven so early on. I remember begging Dad to let her be…" she had trailed off lost in her memories, not completely willing to telling me the whole story.

"What happened to her, Ashley? She couldn't have died, otherwise I wouldn't be here with you," I asked, looking into her greenish-blue eyes in the mirror.

She sighed heavily before continuing. "Aunt Didyme was still so human after she was…_reborn_, you could say. There were things about her that would make people so attracted to her-that's why Marcus loved her so much. It was her gift. I remember a couple months before Dad wanted her killed, that something about her changed. No one had noticed other me and I kept it that way…But I think she knew, too, though.

"When Dad had finally thought of killing her, Didyme had changed so much by then. Her dark hair was a half inch longer and her eyes were a rich coffee brown, almost like yours. But over all of that it was like her body had gone through a reversed vampire conversion. But she was still so strong… I confronted her a couple days before me, Nick, and Mom were set to leave Volterra. I had told her what Aro was going to do and wanted her to leave before it was to happen." Ashley had a faraway look in her eyes by then and few tears had started to roll down her cheeks. On reflex I reached up to wipe them away and kissed her cheek. Her skin had been warm and rosy, but not as warm as my own at the time. Now I'm colder than her. Compared to me, Ashley was like an open flame…

I'd hesitated for a few minutes before mustering up enough courage to speak. "What-what happened after that?"

She turned away from the mirror and buried her face into my hair, inhaling my scent. "Aunt Didyme upped and left like I wanted her to. And I'm assuming that she found somebody to love and had a couple kids with him…Marcus was so distraught over her disappearance, or _death _depending on whose perspective it is, that he stayed with the Volturi for the rest of eternity. He's like a shell of himself now…" she concluded. Suddenly Ashley's demeanor changed and she peeked out from my hair and looked at me in the mirror. "You know, you kinda look like her, Bella." And just like that she was back to her normal self…

I gasped and sat bolt straight up in my bed, eyes snapping open at once. It was still dark out as I gazed out my bedroom window. The sky was a dark purplish-blue like the bruise-like shadows I knew were underneath my eyes. _I need to go hunting soon…_

I always hated the part when I would be pulled out a memory from my past. It was like waking up from a bad nightmare, even if the memory was a good one like tonight. Watching memories in a dreamlike state was a better alternative than walking around the house at night while both my daughter and most of the neighborhood were fast asleep. It was something Ashley taught me about eight years into my new life. I had never realized that you could do that until she and Aunt Elodia-I mean _Miranda_-showed me how to do it. It's kind of simple once you get the hang of it. I'd thought I would have to go through intensive training of the mind. But, _noooo_, all you have to do is have a memory in mind or just think of the past and close your eyes. You'll see and feel it like you're reliving it again._ So natural…_

Instead of slipping back into a memory, I went downstairs and into the kitchen to wait until the sun rose. With each step down the staircase, the sound of two heartbeats sounded in my ears. _She's awake…_ I smiled to myself and stepped soundlessly into the kitchen less than a second later. Renesmee looked up at me from the seat in front of the bay window overlooking the forest. An eighty-fourth of a second later I was sitting across from my little girl. She had her little silky terrier curled up on her lap and an almost empty glass of water in her hand. I could see the little beads of condensation forming on the glass, reminded me of after it rains and little drops of water are left on the windows.

"Hey, Mom…" Nessie whispered, stroking the small puppy slowly, methodically, without looking up.

"Hi, sweetheart," I whispered just as quietly. It was quiet between the two of us as she finished her glass of water and I looked out the window into the dark night. "What are you doing up, Ness?" I asked as she quickly washed out the glass and put it back in the cabinet a second later.

"Couldn't sleep." I nodded, remembering that feeling from my human life. It had happened a lot when I was pregnant with her. I was up for half the night most of the time with Ashley sitting with me until I went back to sleep.

It was silent between the two of us for a couple of minutes as I gazed unseeingly out the window and she stood at the sink scrutinizing the dark forest. "I feel like I'm being watched, Mom…" Renesmee murmured quietly to me, still staring out the window.

I almost let out a laugh, but held it back, knowing she was serious. "Honey, you're always being watched. _Especially_ by your aunt and uncle," I told her, turning to look at her back.

"I know _that_," she growled. "I meant that I feel like I'm being watched by something, or someone, _right now_ and I'm…afraid," she told me, whispering the last part. I was at her side in an instant and pulled her into my arms, rubbing her back soothingly. Automatically she wrapped her arms around me and hid her face in my neck. I could feel her inhaling my scent, calming herself down like when she was younger. Ness's pulse had spiked but gradually went back to its normal beat.

I froze for a fraction of a second when I thought I heard a voice hiss, "Did you hear that? We scared the kid." The voice sounded familiar, but I brushed it off, not wanting to think of the possibilities.

I pulled her close for a second longer before letting go. "Go back to bed and don't think about it. You're fine, you're safe, Renesmee. I'm here and Ashley will be here in a second if she sees something. Okay?" I asked, looking into her chocolate pools that were once my own. I smoothed her long bronze hair so like her father's in reassurance until she nodded slowly. "Good." I kissed her cheek before turning her toward the back staircase. I stood still as a statue, listening to her feather light footsteps and the click of her door as she closed it.

I don't know what would happen to me if something happened to my baby girl, the only physical connection I had to her father. I would probably go crazy like Nick tends to keep saying for the past twenty years.

Suddenly the loud barks from Brownie as she looked out the bay window reminded me that the puppy was still awake. I grabbed the leash as I ghosted over to the window seat.

It was surprising that the little puppy had no aversion to me even though other animals tend to shy away from vampires. _Maybe that's why Ashley gave Brownie to us three months ago._

The small brown silky terrier started to jump up and down on the seat, still trained on something outside the window. Whatever it was out there was hidden from my sharp sight. "Brownie, girl, stop it. You're going to wake up the neighbors," I said, clipping the leash onto the light pink collar. The dog stopped immediately, to my surprise, and jumped down from the seat and started toward the front door. I pursed my lips at the dog as I flipped the kitchen light off in passing. _Weirdest dog I've ever seen before._

Stepping out into the windy Forks night, Brownie ran around the yard and did its business before running back to me. I knelt down and ran my cool fingers through the puppy's silky hair, noticing once again that it didn't shy away from me. After a few minutes, I decided to go back in when the light rain started to get harder, pelting larger droplets. Once I scooped the little puppy into my arms it started to bark again. _What's wrong with her? Ashley better give me some answers when she comes over later._

"Shh…" I cooed, but it was futile – the puppy kept yapping. Turning the corner, going back to the kitchen, I stopped dead in my tracks and stopped breathing. _I thought I turned the light off._ Slowly I crept across the floor, still not breathing, until I stood in the doorway of my kitchen.

There, standing around the island, were seven people – vampires really – all with their backs to me. I didn't dare breathe, afraid of what their reaction would be…Belatedly I realized that Brownie had stopped barking and was now staring at them too. I already knew who they were, but I was too much of a coward do anything. Instead I asked, "What are you doing in my house?"

At the sound of my voice each one turned around to face me, shock written all over their faces.

If I wasn't so afraid, I might have laughed.

My eyes scanned over each face, lingering for a second longer on his. My attention went to Carlisle as he stepped forward. Alice stood a pace behind him; happiness shining in her eyes after the initial shock wore off. Brownie growled at the movement, leaving everyone to look at the small puppy in my arms. I ran my hand over her head in assurance, cooing, "It's alright girl; they won't hurt us." Alice's small smile grew at the sound of my voice, but I could still see the shock there.

I looked back up at them, feeling more confident, and asked again, more demanding, "I _said_; what are you doing in my house?"

Carlisle took another step toward me, but more calculated than before. "My name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family," he said, gesturing to the others. Before he could say anymore, Alice moved to stand less than arms length away from me.

"My name is Alice; I'm the one that sent the letter to you." I briefly remember reading a letter a few weeks ago addressed to me, but it didn't say who it was from… "I'm sorry if we came unexpectedly, Miss van Hussein, but we used the key you sent." I mentally cringed at the name, knowing full well that was the name I was using.

I sighed quietly to myself, knowing they heard it. "No, it's okay, Alice, it's fine. Just don't call me _Miss van Hussein,_ that's only the current name I'm using now. Call me Bella, Bella Swan-everyone else does," I said, moving the puppy to one arm as it growled again and holding out the other for her to shake. Alice's smile fell for a fraction of a second, turning to shock, before it came back in full force.

Behind her there were six simultaneous gasps once I said my name. At the very end of the line, near the back stair case, Emmett cursed to himself and hissed, "That can't be Bella…" I realized that he was the one that said those words earlier when Ness said she was afraid. _They saw us in the window…_

Alice grabbed my hand and shook it. She beamed, all of her teeth shining with an eight colored rainbow bouncing off. "It's very nice to meet you, Bella." Then, as if she couldn't help herself, Alice pulled me into a hug, careful not to crush the growling terrier in my arms. I snuck a peak at Edward and saw that he was staring at me unabashedly. I had the strangest feeling, like I wanted to blush under his gaze. I hadn't had that feeling since I was first…_reborn._

Suddenly Alice inhaled the smell at my neck and pulled back, a confused look overtaking her face. "Bella, can I ask you something?" she asked voice a bit dazed.

I moved away from her, flitting over to the window seat to put the puppy there. It growled, but not as loudly. I looked back at her, noticing that everyone was now staring at me. "Sure Alice."

"What did that scent belong to? It was human, but then again, it wasn't," she asked, looking directly into my eyes.

I looked directly back at her and said the words that Ashley had ingrained in my head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Alice. Sorry."

Jasper approached me slowly, a strange look clouding his face. "I think you do know," he said.

A blurry memory was brought to the front of my mind, the one where Edward told me that Jasper was an empath.

I shook my head both at myself for my stupidity and at Jasper, denying his accusation. Slowly I backed up the stairs, looking at everyone, wondering what their next move was going to be. Then without a second thought, I flew up the staircase and into my daughter's room, closing the door behind me. She sat up at once, alarmed at my sudden appearance.

As they came up the stairs, following my scent, I slipped into a defensive crouch, throwing my shield over Renesmee at the same time. I could feel as my eyes turned a darker shade of coal black as a hiss started to build in the back of my throat…

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**Yeah...Long time no see Fanfic. Almost two months without a single chapter or o/s. How sad...But that's beside the point. This is a new story with new beginnings. My other story Mixed Signals will be taken down some time on Halloween so this is your last chance to read into its depths before it's taken down and reworked.**

**But in the mean time, read this new fic of mine! The next chapter is already written so it won't be that long till the next update. And if you feel like leaving a review you might an early Halloween treat on your doorstep or a really bad trick, just saying...**

**Till next time, Gemini****  
10-20-10**


	2. Confrontation

**On this night full of magic and debauchery, monsters and ghouls, here lies the truth: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the rights to Twilight and I do not.**

**And now onto the story…**

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**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 2: Confrontation**

_**Bella POV**_

I listened as Renesmee pushed the blankets away and moved to sit at the edge of the comforter, ready to restrain me if she had to. "What is it?" she whispered behind me. I shook my head intent on the double doors of her bedroom.

Then, right on cue, they flew open revealing five vampires crouched in similar poses as my own. An animalistic growl hissed up my throat as each one leaned in, ready to attack if they had to. Rosalie was the one head to head with me and was mimicking my reactions. I hissed, she hissed; I moved that way, she moved that way.

"What are you hiding?" she hissed at me. I always knew that she hated me, but this was just starting to piss me off. She leaned in closer to me and one thought came to mind.

_You are only as strong as the person you are fighting if not stronger._

I leaned in just as close to her until we were almost touching. "You touch my little girl and I'll make sure that you regret ever doing it in the first place…" I growled right back with more malice than she was able to muster up.

It was quiet except for the growls and hisses from us and the quick startled breaths and frantic heartbeat coming from Nessie. In the back of my mind I was surprised that they couldn't hear that. It was loud in my ears.

Once Ness thought that I was getting out of hand she started inching closer and closer to me. Just as Rosalie was about to lunge at my throat, Emmett and Jasper moved to grab each of her arms as she snapped at me. "Rosie, you need to stop," Emmett whispered to her.

"You need to control your little bitch," I spit out.

Rosalie's anger got out of hand at my words, far worse than what Jasper could control. "Why you-" she screamed out, breaking free from both the boys' grip.

I moved to stand erect as she moved to lunge at me again. In one fast move, I stood by the window, contemplating if I should jump out of it.

_No, then they'll get to Renesmee!_

Just as Rosalie was within arm's length, I sidestepped her and went back to my original position. The others had started to converse on Nessie in the small amount of time that I stepped away from her.

I hissed venomously at them, feeling sorry for Esme who stood at the doorway and looked on disappointedly at her family. "You should see looks on your faces… She's only _a little girl_ for goodness sakes, and you're what – at least a century old? I'm hardly that old, and I know better than that," I whispered too calmly, dangerously. "You're scaring her…" I'm thoroughly disappointed myself to tell you the truth.

Rosalie came back to attack me while I leaned forward just then; my strength – her strength – flowing through my muscles. My body slipped into a deeper crouch…

I moved to stand straight as Renesmee's warm arms wrapped around me from behind. One was wrapped around my waist while the other went around my shoulders, restraining me. "Mom, calm down. They won't hurt me; no one would let that happen. Because if they did, Aunt Ashley would torture them in the worst way possible, you know that…" she whispered. I nodded and closed my eyes, focusing on each unneeded breath. I could feel and hear when her breath hitched when she looked up at our guests. I knew that she knew; it was easy to tell.

Slowly her hand snaked up to rest on my neck and I could feel all of her thoughts running through her head, trying to pick a direction to go in. _You're acting like you don't know them, Mom. It's like you don't remember anything with the things you're doing, _she thought. I saw through her eyes what her father looked like to her. Ness found him to be very beautiful, and that her imagination did him no justice.

I agreed with her wholeheartedly for my own memories did him no justice either. Edward looked at us curiously, probably wondering why he couldn't hear anything coming from either of us.

I patted the hand against my neck, murmuring to her, "Yes, I know that, sweetie." She moved her hand from my neck, allowing me to see out of my own eyes again.

Rosalie and all of the others had moved out of their crouches by now, and were looking at me and Renesmee. Every one of them was either looking at us curiously or very confused at the exchange.

All except for Alice.

She wasn't fooled by what was going on at all, I could just tell. Carlisle had this excited curiosity in his eyes that shined brightly. It was like he thirsted for the new information.

"What did she just do when she touched your neck?" he asked excitedly. I shook my head at him as Renesmee fell limp on my back.

"I'm not saying…_anything _until Ashskhen and Nikolai come over later. So, please, leave her be – she needs to rest," I whispered, unwrapping her limp arms from around my body and tucking her back in bed.

"Of course, Bella. We'll be downstairs when you're ready." I nodded, not taking my eyes off of my sleeping child. If I looked any of them in the eyes, something might slip through my mouth. Their retreating footsteps let me know that they were gone.

I'm so afraid of what they'll say when I tell them that she's my real daughter and not my 'adopted' child like Alice and the others. Everything could change when I tell them one little piece of information. That terror is the reason why I want Ashley and Nick and the others here when we talk. It might be the only way to tell them anything. They always played the mediators in fights that would almost break out, even if it was the other who was involved. And, hopefully, Alice will keep it secret for now that she knows…

I'm acting like I have a sever loss of memory of my human life.

"She's very beautiful, Bella…" Alice said to me from the doorway. My head snapped to look at her. She stood at the entrance with Edward standing by her side, looking at me very intently, scrutinizing my every move.

"What?" I stuttered out, caught off guard.

Alice smiled widely and pointed at Nessie. "Your daughter, Bella. She's very beautiful – just like you," she complimented. I gave a tight lipped smile and gave a small thank you.

She gave a tinkering laugh that sounded like ringing bells. "You must hear that a lot, don't you?"

I ducked my head slightly and grimaced. "Yeah, I do. I've heard that since the day she was born nearly nineteen years ago. But I really think she looks like her father, because I hardly see anything that looks like me in her. Other than the eyes that is."

Alice gave another tinkering laugh before skipping down the hall. "We'll be in the dining room when you're ready," she called back before going down the stairs.

I brought my hands to my face and sighed. _What am I going to do?_

"She really is beautiful, Bella…" Edward said, suddenly standing by my side next to the bed.

I looked up at him, breathing in the honey, lilac, and sun scent of his as I inhaled. "Thanks…" I whispered. I kissed Nessie's cheek one last time before rising from the bed. "We should go downstairs," I murmured, turning back to him again. He nodded and followed me out the double doors, closing them behind us.

"You have a very nice house," Edward said suddenly, looking at the framed pictures adorning the wall as we descended the stairs. Some of them went as far back as the mid 1800s if I counted right.

I smiled back at him, watching him stop to look at one of the first pictures of Renesmee. It was the one Ash took with me cradling her, looking down adoringly at my baby…My eyes were a shocking red then… And if you look close enough, you could see Carol running around the room in the background. "That's one of the first pictures we took of her," I told him. He blinked, as if forgetting that he was here.

I touched his shoulder, feeling a warm heat spread through my body, starting in my fingertips and to my heart. "Come on." Edward nodded and followed me the rest of the way down. I suddenly felt sad, like I wanted to cry. Maybe it had to do with him looking at the picture. It made me remember that day. I was so happy to finally hold my little girl, but was equally sad to not have him by my side at the same time…

Without really paying attention I sat down at the head of the table and tucked my legs underneath me. I sighed again, looking around the room. On my left sat Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie. I chuckled under my breath once as I noticed that she sat as far as possible away from me without looking like it. On my right sat Alice, Jasper, and finally, Edward next to him.

"Okay, then, let's start with the basics." I leaned back into the chair and threw my head back, closing my eyes.

"My name is Isabella Marie Swan and I'm a vampire," I droned, as if in one of those AA meetings and was one of those people who didn't want to be there. I listened as Emmett snickered and Esme hissed at him to stop. "I have other names that I use, like the one that Alice used earlier…" I opened my eyes and peaked at her, noticing that she was ready to laugh. A small smile spread across my face without my permission, but I didn't let it get in the way.

"Some people know me as Bella Swan, Isa van Hussein, Marie Thorne, or…" I trailed off, thinking of how they would react to the last one. All the vampires we had come across always had the same reaction when we told them the name. But since I'm giving a proper greeting and they'll be living here with me I'll tell them.

"What's the name, Bella?" Alice asked. I turned to her and saw the knowingness in her eyes and the smile plastered on her face.

"Katherine Volturi…" A resounding gasp went around the table, coming from every person here. Everyone…but Alice.

_Again_.

I gave a tired sigh and leaned back into my chair and dug my fingers into my hair. "This happens all the time and it's getting really fucking annoying," I muttered to myself. My eyes opened a fraction of an inch and I felt like I was going to have a fucking coronary…_That is if I could have one_…

Every member of the Cullen family was gawking at me. Either in shock or in understanding. I pursed my lips and leaned forward conspiratorially. "There is only so much I can tell you, for the real explanation lies with the two children of Aro…" I told them, looking directly at every one of them.

I leaned back again waiting for somebody to speak. They wanted to come here, so they have to learn the secrets that accompany this place. It doesn't mean that everything they learn will be very pleasant because I've _seen_ on many occasions what it's like to be near a Volturi and learn their secrets and their lies.

"Who are the children of Aro, Bella?" Carlisle asked hesitantly after the pregnant silence.

I gave him a tight lipped smile. "I'll tell you their names – their old names – if everyone in your family introduces themselves first. Almost everyone here has invaded my personal space whether I liked it or not and I don't even know their names," I said, looking directly at Rosalie. And then my words caught up with me, like I was slow today. It was a gigantic stupid ass lie that will eventually get me in trouble if I don't handle it properly. Ash always told me to handle your lies like they were a ticking bomb. One wrong move and everything will blow up in your face and get you killed in the end.

Carlisle smiled and turned to his lovely wife. "Darling?"

Esme smiled back at him then gave me an even larger smile. "Bella, dear, I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife and the kids' mother," she told me warmly, gesturing toward the five others.

I gave a smile just as warm and murmured, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Esme." My attention went from the sweet, caramel haired woman to the big burly man I once considered a brother.

Em waved at me with a big grin on his face. "I'm Emmett, Emmett Cullen. And it's great to meet you Bella. Alice has told us a lot about you since she started writing to you," he told me, every word said sincerely and from his heart. Em was still the same person that I knew twenty years ago.

I smiled back at him with all of my razor-sharp teeth shining in the light, a small chuckle slipping through my lips. "Hopefully it was all good. Right, Alice?" She laughed her silvery little laugh and nodded yes.

My gaze turned to Rosalie expectantly, and so did Edward and Alice. Edward was trying not to laugh, seemingly, because the corners of his mouth would twitch ever so slightly. Alice, on the other hand, wasn't trying to hide her amusement at all. (It was even affecting Jasper making him let out a few chuckles every now and then.) She was vibrating in her seat excitedly with a big smile on her face.

And Rosalie…Well, Rose was sticking to the back of the chair like she was trying to pretend she wasn't here. She must have thought I was angry. If I was her, I would be thinking the same thing, but I was only upset that she would go ahead and do that without assessing the situation. Rose _must_ have seen how I was only trying to protect my child…

Deciding I wasn't going to hold a grudge against her, I gave a kind smile in Rosalie's direction. "I'm not going to bite you." It was at that exact second that she looked into my eyes and, despite them being a deadly black, saw how sincere I was. Rose sighed, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

She reciprocated my smile, knowing that she was forgiven. "I'm Rosalie Hale, Em's mate…You can call me Rose if you want, Bella," she said quietly, still not breaking my gaze.

"It's lovely to meet you, Rose."

Suddenly Alice gasped in shock, turning everyone's attention to her. "Alice?" Jasper whispered, touching her shoulder. She didn't acknowledge him or anyone else when they tried to get her attention, her head whirling back and forth looking at me then Rose and again endlessly. It was like she was watching a tennis match against two vampires.

"I don't know," Edward said suddenly, frowning as he looked at Alice.

"What's going on here, Edward?" Carlisle demanded.

Before Edward could say anything, Alice answered for him. "How is that possible? That wasn't what was supposed to happen. Both of their decisions were perfectly clear!" she wailed. "How could they _both_ be _calm_?"

My eyes _must_ have been wide in shock.

Either somebody in this town was messing with her, _or_ a certain silvery blond vampire was standing on my porch.

_Most likely the latter…_

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**I hoped you liked it, and if you want to have a taste of what's to come leave a review. They're bittersweet like the dark chocolate some are to eat on this dark night.**

**On another note, if you look onto my profile you will now see that the story **Mixed Signals** is no longer available. But it will return...**_**eventually.**_

**And now on this night of All Hallows Eve, we shall see the true callings of our so called friends…But be careful, the vampires may come to suck you and the unsuspecting townsfolk dry of your blood! Muahahahaha!**

**Sorry, I just had to do that.**

**Happy Halloween! Gem  
10-31-10**


	3. She's a Mystery

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else but her.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 3 – She's a Mystery**

_**Edward POV**_

"How is that possible? That wasn't what was supposed to happen. Both of their decisions were perfectly clear!" Alice wailed as Jasper tried to get her emotions under control. "How could they _both_ be _calm_?"

Jazz rubbed her back soothingly, trying to get her to calm down as she started to breath heavily. It was odd, this never happened to her. Alice's visions always came true, no matter what happened. The little vampire that changed Jasper is an example of this. Maria was her name; it was her second appearance in the last seventy-five years. Somehow she found out that Alice was clairvoyant. Maria thought by making a bunch of crazy little schemes – that never worked in the first place – to break apart Alice and Jasper would get them to turn on each other. But Alice saw what her true intent was seeing as Maria had never tried to cover up her final decision: getting Jasper to go away with her and to take up the "traditional" way again.

So how could her visions suddenly stop coming true. I had seen it happen with her. So Alice couldn't be going crazy and giving off false visions because I would have been able to tell, right?

Suddenly Bella rose from her seat at the head of the table and looked at everyone with a slight distant look. _She's so beautiful…I can't believe I let myself give her up._ "Sorry, but I have to go answer the door." I could feel as my brow furrowed in confusion as she hurriedly walked out of the room.

But there was nobody at the door.

_Edward, is anyone there?_ Carlisle asked. I shook my head no, wondering who the crazy one in this equation was. There couldn't possibly be anybody waiting at that front door.

Alice grabbed at her head in the same second, digging her fingers into her coal-black hair. "That couldn't have just happened," she whispered, laying her head down on the table.

Further into the house, I listened as Bella opened the front door. "Good morning, Luna," she greeted. She couldn't have been talking to anybody. No one was so much as breathing on that threshold!

"Hello, Bella," a small tinkering voice, similar to Alice's, chirped, "Can I come in?"

"Depends…" Bella told her.

"On what?" she challenged defiantly. It was quiet between them suddenly, and then after a whole minute had passed, the visitor spoke again. "Thank you," she laughed, stepping in I suppose.

It was odd.

Even as the girl stepped into the house, I still couldn't hear a single thought or breath. It was as if there was nobody there, but still was…Bella would ask something trivial, _human_ almost, and the Luna girl would give an answer just as trivial as the question. But, still, it was like Bella was talking to thin air…

"So, Luna, what are you doing here? I didn't expect you this early," Bella asked as they stopped suddenly.

"I didn't want to stay at the house, it was starting to get annoying," she sighed. "Mom and Dad are planning something and they were doing it in their secret code. Or some shit like that-it was just plain _annoying_." Bella's beautiful laugh rang through the air like Christmas bells in my ears. It was the most wonderful, _beautiful_, sounds I had heard in the past twenty years.

"Luna. Ash and Seb do what they do because they want it to be a big surprise when you finally find out…_Or,_" she drawled out, "they don't want you to know that our final demise is upon us." The girl huffed but otherwise didn't say anything. "Plus that secret code you're talking about is just Old Italian before it adapted over time into what it is now."

They started walking at a slow human pace toward the dining room. I could hear them whispering quietly to each other, and, still, not a single thought could be heard from either one. I was somewhat expecting to hear my Bella's thoughts in her new life. And at the same time I wasn't.

But this Luna girl, she's a mystery!

Not a single thought can be heard from her. It's not the same with Bella; I'm not bouncing off of her mind. With Luna, it's like going though air. And I don't hear her breath, nor is her heart beating. So I'm assuming she's like us…But not even her foot steps can be heard in the quiet house…

"Why did you stop, Luna?" Bella asked suddenly.

"Can I take the mirror?" she asked in a lofty voice instead.

"You're seeing something, aren't you? Take it, but don't break it. You know how your mother is, 'You shatter a mirror and the gypsies will come'," Bella said to her, imitating someone's voice, presumably Luna's mother.

Seconds later, two figures appeared in the doorway. And then Bella stepped into the dining room, guiding the other petite figure holding the mirror behind her to the other end of the table.

Alice suddenly brought her head up from the table and looked at our new guest. _Who is she…?_ Alice wondered.

I watched as Bella helped the girl lay the mirror down on the table slowly and then helped her sit. "Luna, are you going to be okay?" Bella whispered softly. The girl nodded, pulling her hair back, never looking away from the mirror.

And then I finally got a good look at the girl.

She had long, silvery blond hair, a sharp pointed nose that I've only ever seen on Italian women, and full plump lips with a red sheen similar to Bella's. Her features were soft and almost childish, like a teenager. The way she carried herself, though, was not of a child but of someone much older than she appeared to be. But the eyes were what stood out the most.

They were sort of clear, like glass, but not at the same time. It's hard to describe…If you tried to look directly into her eyes, it was like you were looking into a mirror.

_I can see myself!_

"Um…excuse me?" My attention focused on the silvery blond girl. Her glass-like eyes were trained on me.

"Me?" I pointed to myself. Across from me Emmett started to go 'oooohh' in his head. _'Eddie, you're in trouble!'_ I shot him a look that clearly said to shut the fuck up before looking back at the girl.

"Yes, you. Didn't you mother ever tell you that it's rude to stare?" she asked. I don't know how to respond to that. She knew I was looking at her…_but how?_ "Stop wondering how I know. It'll be explained soon enough," she snapped, retuning her gaze to the mirror again.

_Even odder…_

"Okay, then…Sorry about that. Luna, here, insisted upon coming now, _instead_ of _later_," Bella reprimand, looking sternly at the young girl directly across from her.

The girl – Luna – didn't even look up from the mirror as she said her next words. "Are you not going to present me, Isabella? I am, after all, the eldest person in the room." Bella narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits as she glared at the little girl across from the table, her lips curled back to reveal two rows of razor sharp teeth.

Carlisle glanced at me briefly before turning back to look at the girl again. _Edward, can you hear her thoughts? _My silence was enough of an answer for him.

"Everyone, this is Luna-Luna Thorne. She's Ashskhen's only daughter. Luna, these are the Cullens," she murmured through clenched teeth. _Even irritated as hell, she's still so beautiful._ Luna flashed us a smile with an eight colored rainbow bouncing off her own razor sharp teeth.

"Very nice, darling, very nice," Luna purred quietly. Bella huffed, rolling her eyes in the girl's direction before turning her full, undivided attention on me. There was curiosity, and delight, in her eyes as she gazed at me with a small smile on her beautiful face. And for a split second I could have sworn I saw a look of knowingness flash in her dark eyes before it was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

My love was just as beautiful as I had last laid my eyes on her. She was just a bit more durable than before. I was only disappointed that I couldn't access her mind and hear and _see_ every passing thought… But then again, not everyone gets what they want in life.

"Eddie, stop staring at the pretty girl. Introduce your sorry ass and stop being rude," Emmett roared across the table at me. _Eddie, we all know you're still in _love_ with Bells, but she doesn't know that. She doesn't even _know_ you! _he thought, laughing his ass off in that stupid head of his.

I seethed at him, daring him to try anything to try anything while we stayed here. If he was stupid enough to play his little games with me, Em will soon find that he's lost a _very important_ appendage. And he won't get it back. _Ever._ "Speak for yourself," I spat at him. A small tinkering giggle made me forget all about the fucking idiot I call my brother.

I _should_ have been paying attention. I _should _have been listening. I _should_ be trying to get my Bella to remember. I _should_ be trying to figuring out who that little girl Bella was protecting.

_I should know these things!_

"Eddie?" Bella giggled. _I could listen to her laugh all day…_ "Is that really you name?" My voice softened at the sound of my love's soft, melodic voice. It was the most beautiful thing in my existence.

I gazed back into her black eyes, noticing the prominent bruise-like shadows under them, briefly wondering how she was able to hold the girl upstairs so close to her knowing that she needed to hunt, and smiled in return. "No, it's not. Emmett only calls me that to annoy me…It's _really_ Edward." Suddenly Esme and Alice started to coo at me in their minds while Emmett went, "Pssshhh, what a pushover," under his breath, earning himself a smack in the back of the head by Esme for once.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Edward," she whispered in that sweet voice of hers. My Bella leaned back in her seat again, turning her head to Jasper, but before he could say anything, Luna cut them both off. I had all but forgotten her.

"This is going to take forever, so I'm going to take over. Bella. This is Jasper Hale, formerly known as Major Jasper Whitlock. He was once part of the…Confederate Army in…1861 during the Civil War. His mate is Alice…Jasper. This is Isabella Swan, but she prefers Bella. Capisce_?_"

"Luna!" Bella chastised.

"What, Bella! I saw that it was going to take you people till sunrise to get over introductions and a bit of strained conversation. And do you really think that I want to sit here and listen to that when I already had to sit through it once? It was bad enough just watching it! Plus, I can just _tell_ you who each of them are."

This Luna character was an odd one.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked the new chapter, and if you really liked it you'll leave me a review. And if you leave me a review, you'll get a review of the next chapter.**

**Reading one of my reviews, I realized that some people are confused as to what Bella's relationship is with the Cullens…so I'll explain.**

**Alice completely knows that Bella is pretending to not know them…Because it was her idea. Alice had to send Bella multiple letters until she finally agreed. The day the Cullens arrived, Bella didn't know that Alice had planned to come early to surprise her (Bella thought that they would come sometime within September, seeing as it's August now, and give her the rest of the month to prepare). What Alice didn't plan for was wondering what that weird smell lingering all over the house was.**

**So in other words, Bella's relationship is severely complicated…On one hand she knows exactly who they are, and on the other she acts like they're brand new people to her. Even though the Cullens haven't changed one bit.**

**And if you still don't understand, keep reading. Alice and Bella are going to have a little talk about this soon…So until next time to those who are reading this little explanation of mine.**

**One more thing people, have a happy Thanksgiving and be thankful for everything and everyone you have.**

**Love and Kisses, Gemini  
11-25-10**


	4. She Called You Mom

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else but her.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 4: She Called You Mom!**

_**Edward POV**_

Slow, deliberate, footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs, as if the person wanted us to be aware of their presence. I couldn't hear a single thought from the individual, but their heartbeat was as fast as a hummingbird's wings. It was the only thing other than the sound of their footsteps on the floor that let me truly know someone was actually there.

I knew it had to be the girl Bella was shielding away from us, more specifically Rosalie though; she was the only other person in the house with us.

The girl's small, petite figure appeared in the doorway, her dark chocolate brown eyes stood out in stark contrast against her pale skin. I watched as the girl scanned the room, her eyes lingering on me, then Alice, a second longer than the others before settling on my love. Bella pushed away from the table and opened her arms out in welcome, as if expecting a hug from the girl. But instead of just getting a hug, the girl glided forth and sat in her lap.

"Morning, Mom," she whispered before bringing her legs up and curling in on herself slightly. Her eyes surveyed the room again, stopping on Luna this time. "Morning, Aunt Luna." The girl's voice carried like the soft tinkering of Christmas bells, like Bella's does. It was almost similar in pitch, but still completely different. "I didn't think you'd be here at the crack of dawn."

"Yes, I knew you were going to ask that. But, you've got to understand, Nessie, if you had to listen to what _I_ had to listen to, you would be here at the crack of dawn, too," Luna told her, voice rising almost dangerously until it was shrill. She finally looked up from the mirror for the first time in the past two hours, making Emmett make a fool out of himself again.

"Whoa! What happened to your eyes?" He just had to yell it like a crazy person and not ask like a normal person, in a _normal _voice. But if he didn't, he wouldn't be Emmett.

"What are you talking about, Em?" Rose asked almost scathingly, brisling at him for yelling in her ear.

A slight whining noise escaped his throat as he tried to find his words. "Rosie, baby, look! Her eyes aren't clear like before anymore." And at those words, I realized that the crazy fucker was right. Luna's eyes had gone from being glass clear, reflective almost, to a light sea green. It was one of the weirdest, but still oddly fascinating, things I had ever witnessed in my abnormally long life. _Other than the time Emmett was able to eat a whole pizza a few years ago and keep it down until sunrise…_

"Yes, we all can see that her eyes have changed color. It's an everyday occurrence," a soft soprano droned sarcastically. Everyone's heads snapped to look at the girl sitting on Bella's lap, surprised that she had addressed us directly. I don't think any of us thought that she would speak to us, let alone look at us after the incident upstairs. "Hi," she whispered, suddenly shy with us. "Um, my name is Renesmee…_if you were wondering." _She had muttered the last part under her breath, almost making it too fast for anyone to catch. The girl, Renesmee, turned into Bella's neck after I had made eye contact with her, embarrassed. And to my surprise and utter shock, a deep red blush flushed her skin exactly like Bella's had when she was human.

She had to be related to Bella in some way, but was it really possible that Renesmee was Bella's daughter? _It's not possible unless…_I couldn't even finish the thought without grimacing in pain. It was really pitiful on my part. I really should have been able to think about this since _I_ was the one who left her in the first place.

_Not after you had hurt her,_ my subconscious whispered. I brushed it off, not wanting to remember…

"She called you Mom..." Carlisle whispered suddenly. Esme looked at him with wide eyes before shooting her gaze to me and then the girl in the same second. It was almost as if she was blaming me for some thought she never had in that one look. It was proven with the next thought that went through her head. _Edward, what did you do?_ she thought accusingly before looking back at the brown eyes of the young girl with brand new eyes. _She looks just like…_ Esme trailed off, leaving her thought unfinished as she gazed at Bella with a soft look.

Rosalie's sudden upbeat thoughts turned desolate the moment the four words left Carlisle's mouth. Everything was like butterflies and flowers, for lack of a better comparison, one second and the next it was like all of the life in her disappeared. A child was one of the few things that Rose wanted, and now Bella seemingly has it now too even in our sad existence.

Then there was Emmett, he had no thoughts at all for once. He knew just as much as everybody else that a child of her own was the one thing Rose wanted most in life. But being the way we are, it's just not possible without turning an innocent child into one of us. And in doing so would get you killed. Immortal children were against the law because of the dangers of them.

Jasper just sat there stoically, controlling everyone's scattered emotions. He was trying to rein everyone in, just trying to put them into a calmer feeling. It was almost impossible for him; I could see how he was straining to stay in control and not let their emotions control _him_. I watched him blink quickly before glancing at me and grimacing. _They're out of control._ I nodded at him, letting him know that I knew; that I felt his pain. Just listening to their thoughts was painful enough for an army of people.

And then there was me. I didn't know how to feel about this. Was I supposed to feel hurt that Bella had a daughter with another man? Was I supposed to be upset that Renesmee wasn't _my_ daughter? Was I supposed to be mad? I just didn't know how to feel, at all. All I know is that I am most definitely confused.

An image of me smiling at Renesmee, and holding her tightly like I was afraid to let go, flashed before my eyes and just as fast as it there, it was gone. I looked at Alice around Jasper and stared at her. But the little elfin-like vampire was keeping me out of her precognitive mind, translating one of her favorite trashy romance novels into every language she knew.

Bella froze out of the corner of my eye, pulling the girl closer to her before letting go with a sigh of defeat. "Go into the kitchen and find something to eat, okay? We can go hunting later if you want…" Renesmee nodded reluctantly, slowly walking out of the room. "Luna." She looked up curiously at her before nodding and following Renesmee from the room.

"She called you 'Mom'…" Rose repeated, her voice cracking on the last word.

Suddenly Bella was kneeling beside her, pulling the blond vampire down to her so she could whisper in her ear. It was almost too low to hear, but just barely. "Rosalie. Lilian. Hale…I'll tell you exactly why she called me 'Mom'. But you have to promise me that you won't repeat a single thing to a single soul, living or otherwise. Okay, Rose?" My sister nodded and took Bella's pale hand, allowing her to pull her into the kitchen. Just as Rosalie stepped through the doorway, the angry growls of a small dog could suddenly be heard.

"Luna, go!" Bella growled over the growls. "_Renesmee_! Get that dog under control. It was doing that this morning!" The growling cut off just as suddenly as it began and Luna was abruptly shoved into the room, the door swinging back and forth in its wake.

"How rude," she mumbled under her breath quietly, brushing off imaginary dust from her shirt. Luna huffed then, not noticing – or choosing to ignore – the stares of my family, before stalking away to another part of the house.

Jasper smoothed the tension in the room away, making sure that everyone stayed calm with Rosalie out of the room. It was like he knew that some of us – specifically Carlisle and Esme – would be bringing a lot of awkward tension into the room. It was as if it wasn't enough that Bella didn't remember any of us, and that we were in a new place that was supposed to be our _home, _to be _Forks._

But Forks wasn't even on the map anymore!

When Emmett decided to look up the "forbidden home land" – not my words – on the Internet, the idiot had all but broke Esme's favorite vase with all of his screaming, making all of the windows in the living room vibrate and crack, shattering one of them. Carlisle thought he was playing a prank on us, but when he looked at the map of Washington, he realized that Em was right. But even then, he was still skeptical. Hours later he had pulled up an article from fifteen years ago. The whole entire thing was talking about how the little rainy town of Forks, Washington had expanded to become the little _city_ of Mystic, Washington. There was even a statement from Bella's father, talking about how it was a great opportunity to bring the people together and give more opportunities to the kids going off to college with the new university built there.

And Alice, being Alice, just had to make sure the house was still there after all of these years. Her first attempt was botched when her visions backfired on her and only gave vague glimpses of the surrounding area. And since her first attempt wasn't enough to satisfy her, Alice's next big idea was to send a letter there and watch the thing through her visions. About a week later, the letter came back. It was marked _'Return to sender – Address no longer available.'_ She took one look at it before tearing it to shreds and walking away like nothing even happened. But she didn't fool anyone. We could hear her dry sobs throughout the entire house. It just broke Esme's heart listening to her…

But that bought of emotional discord from her normally bubbly personality only lasted a few hours. Alice had a whole brand new idea that apparently stemmed from a new vision. She was so adamant about blocking me out, saying that it was important that I didn't know a single detail.

Now I know why she kept it to herself. She knew I would have told her _no_.

The only bit of information she would give was that she had sent another letter to a resident of Mystic, just not which one. And I would have fought her over it if I knew she was sending it to my Bella… The next thing I know, Alice was yelling and screaming about packing everything in the house up. That we're moving back to Washington State.

My eyes opened what seemed like seconds later but were more like an hour to find Rosalie walking back into the room with one of the biggest smiles on her face. It was very rare to see something even remotely resembling a smile these days. The only thing I've seen her do was scowl at any and every thing that crossed her path in the past twenty years. She got especially mean around the time we left all those years ago.

All eyes were on Rose as she glided across the floor. The smile was still on her face, but not in her voice as she asked, "What?" in an annoyed tone.

"What did she tell you, Rosalie?" Jasper asked, beating Carlisle to the punch.

Her smile became impossibly wider, but curiously her mind blacked out, like she was suddenly gone – if that makes any sense. "Everything…" she breathed just as the door flew open and the little dog Bella was holding earlier moved with lightning speed and leaped up onto the table.

Not a single breath was taken as the vicious little thing growled at us, unrelenting.

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**A/N: I hope that the new chapter lived up to your expectations after the long wait until the New Year. I don't have any excuses as to why it's been a long update. 1.) I was really lazy and didn't want to type the chapter even though most of it was written on paper. 2.) I had some Writer's Block which messed me up. And 3.) I had a whole bunch of stories, one-shot really, that I wanted to get down – even if they're not quite finished.**

**All I have to say is that I'm sorry. Just give me something to work with and we'll go from there.**

**Live, laugh, love – Gemini  
1-18-11**


	5. Early Bird Gets the Worm

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 5: Early Bird Gets the Worm**

_**Bella POV**_

I lithely leaped from the tree I was in and landed beside Alice as she watched, mesmerized, as Nessie drained an elk of all of its blood. A smirk grazed my face as Alice's step faltered slightly as Ness pulled back suddenly, only to bury the poor animal in the ground and pick the dark violet tulip from the bouquet she brought. I never understood Renesmee's need to have a burial – no, a _funeral_ – for every animal she killed to quench her thirst. Ashley thought it was cute in the beginning, when she was a little girl. However, as she grew older, it started to become unsettling. But no one had stopped her from doing it.

If my daughter felt the need to have a funeral for every little defenseless animal, that's her business.

"What is she doing?" Alice murmured in confusion, her brow furrowing adorably. I rested my hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly before urging her forward. I almost wanted to pull out my camera and capture this moment, but looking over it again makes me seem a little crazy for taking a picture of an animal burial. Nick would say that I'm getting crazier with every passing second and that it was passed on to Renesmee.

I knew there was a reason I said almost.

We stopped a few steps behind her as she stood from the impromptu grave. As usual, I bowed my head as Ness dropped the tulip on the freshly dug earth. It was always so anticlimactic when she did that.

"Renesmee." She looked up at Alice with a small grin and tilted her head to the side.

"What, Aunt Alice?" Alice's eyes filled with unshed tears at the sentiment as she hesitated. I moved to give them space but just as I was about to go deeper in to the forest, Alice's hand shot out to grip my wrist. Slowly her small little fingers weaved themselves with my own, gripping tightly, conveying everything she couldn't outright say.

Alice breathed a large gust of air and slowly let it out, simultaneously loosening her grip on my hand. "Why did you bury the animal like that?" Ness smiled, a glint shining in her eyes.

"Umm, well, for as long as I can remember I've felt bad for ending the life of an animal, like this elk. It made me feel like I was killing a person who had people who loved them…So I've kinda made like a funeral for them by burying them somewhat properly and laying flowers – even giving a little moment of silence…What do you think, Aunt Alice?" Renesmee's face was cherry blossom pink the entire time, her embarrassment overshadowed by her pride. Her pride of being able to finally tell her aunt something as trivial as giving animal funerals. It was always something that we teased her about.

Alice smiled at her and finally let go of my hand to give her niece a big hug. "I think it's sweet, Nessie," she whispered in her ear.

"Aunt Ashskhen used to tease me about it all of the time when I was younger." Renesmee went on to tell Alice about the first time she buried an animal after she had drained it completely for…for…_for lunch. _

Noon!

Ashley!

"Come on, let's go. We can talk more about this later if you want, Alice. But if you want to talk to Ash, we need to go now." I glanced at my watch, noticing that we had about an hour until Ashley came to the house. She always came at the exact minute she said she would, always so punctual. That's one thing you need to know about her. Ash will always be there exactly when you need her if not earlier.

I broke into a run, taking a different path back than the one we first took. Jasper's scent was frequent on the way back, it was the first thing Renesmee noticed other than the fact that it seemed to be shadowing our own. We crossed Carlisle and Esme's paths a couple times, Rose's too, but not as many as we did Emmett's. There was even a curious trail of blood following it that Alice had delicately wrinkled her nose at, saying that we didn't want to know.

But the closer we got to the house, the more we could catch Edward's trail. It was like he had stayed close to the house to hunt, which probably only allowed him to hunt the small game, like rabbits and squirrels. Why would he subject himself to that? It's not like you have to leave the general vicinity of Mystic to hunt. The city council wouldn't let the contractors tear down the entire forest, saying that it would ruin everything that was part of the original town…but now that I look back on it, it might have had to do with the fact that one of Ash's _friends_ is on the city council and just happens to feed like us.

Maybe the reason he wanted to stay close to the house would be to…question Ashley first? I don't know…

At some point it became a race between the three of us with me in the lead. I could hear Nessie throwing insult after insult at Alice as they each fought to stay at second place behind me. It was funny at first, but every few seconds when I would look back at them it looked like they were really trying to fight each other. Renesmee had actually tripped Alice a couple times back there. Even Alice had the nerve to jump her a couple times. It was odd, like I was seeing things that weren't really there but were.

Does that even make any sense?

Somewhere along the way I ditched them both, pushing myself to go faster. I finally slowed as I reached the house, spotting Jason as he paced back and forth at the edge of the forest. He was muttering on his phone to a client it seemed as he was arguing irritably at the person on the other end. He was always in my backyard yelling at someone down his phone.

The sound of cabinet doors opening and closing, like someone was looking for something, alerted me to the fact that someone was in the house. I stopped short, a few paces away from the door, and listened. I could hear Ash in there, with Sebastian and Luna. It was like everything was moving in slow motion as Ashley spoke. I almost wish she hadn't come early – I just don't want her to let something to slip…I breathed in deeply then, and caught one other person's scent.

No, it couldn't be…I shook the thought away as Alice appeared at my side suddenly, her eyes wide and wild-looking.

"Edward Anthony Masen." It was a statement, not a question.

There was a brief pause before he sighed. "How-how do you now my name?" I could just see Ashley tilting her head to the side, just like she always does, subtly scrutinizing him under her gaze.

Alice looked up at me, her now-golden eyes wide as saucers. "What is he doing back?" she mouthed. I shook my head; I probably didn't want to know.

Ashley gave a sharp laugh, mocking him almost. "How do I know your name...Didn't Bella tell you anything about me? Who I am?"

"Mom? Did you know I lost both of you back there? Alice had stopped for like a second back there and shot like a rocket past me…" She trailed off noticing our frozen expressions as she approached. My face was a mirror of the complete horror on Alice's by the time Ness finally stopped next to us. "…Mom?" Without thinking about it, I covered her mouth with my hand and slowly shook my head at her.

It was a simple plan. One that could be compromised when one fleeting little detail got overlooked.

Or someone royally fucks this up and let's something slip to the wrong person.

Now Ashley, she's certifiable to let something slip. And she would do it on purpose, too. Ash's done it before too, even on her own husband. Yeah, that's right – her _husband_.

She would do it just to screw with me, ruin me and Alice's plan. Ash would mess with Alice's no nonsense plan, the same one that I agreed to for some bizarre reason. I shouldn't have listened to her. I should have just told the truth to them in the beginning. Luna even told me – point blank – that it wouldn't work when I told her in the first place.

She had said that someone who knows the truth would tell Edward themselves. But she wouldn't say who…

Slowly, I pulled my hand away from Renesmee's mouth and pulled her into my side, not speaking the entire time. She just stared up at me with her big chocolate pools as we walked through the patio doors, the thick curtains swishing as Alice closed it behind us.

"Momma?" I just shook my head at her as we each sat on a barstool at the island.

Alice nudged my shoulder, conscious of the fact that Edward was staring at us from the table. "Hey, are you okay?" It was a simple question, but it held so much meaning.

A soft smile forced its way onto my face as I nodded at her. "I'm fine, Alice. Just..._worrying._"

"Whatever you're worrying about, Bella, will work out just fine." My eyes, now golden, narrowed at Ashley's words and that all-knowing smirk on her face. She might be the one to tell Edward for all I know. But then again, she wouldn't really do that. She _was_ the one that told me not to dwell on the past and let the future run its course…

Ashley turned back to Edward then, that stupid smile still in place; only it was kind and motherly now. "You don't have to answer those questions, Edward. Apparently, Bella left all of the explaining to me this time.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself," she said, holding her out her hand and sitting ramrod straight in her chair, "I am Ashskhen Annabel Volturi, daughter of Aro." Ash's thick Italian accent was beautiful whenever she allowed it to seep through like this. It was one of those novelties that are hard to find. Kind of like me when I first came to Forks…Ash gestured to the silvery-blonde man with the dark hazel eyes across from her. He was holding her other hand but was focused on the morning paper that was laying flat on the table. "This is my husband – my mate – Sebastian Thorne. And the little girl Bella introduced to you this morning is our daughter, Luna." Ashskhen smiled at said daughter who was now scowling at her from the refrigerator, getting the ingredients for Ness's morning smoothie.

"I am not a little girl, Mother," she said, throwing a snide look over her shoulder. "I am well over two and a half centuries old if you've forgotten."

Seb showed his first acknowledgement of the other people in the room of the morning as he folded the paper one-handed and smiled at his only daughter. "What your mother meant was that, in our eyes, you will always be our little girl no matter how old you are, sweetie," murmured soothingly in his light British accent. Alice slightly swooned at his voice in my ear, making my nose scrunch in distaste. I don't understand why the human girls and women thought his accent was sexy. It only reminded me of those vampires that Aro brought with him seven years ago that almost slaughtered all the people who worked at city hall. It made Ash and Nike make sure that Aro only brought Renata and a few of the other guard members who could control themselves with him, including the receptionist that they turned a few years ago, with him. They even limited him to bring only Renata and two of those selected guards.

Jason snorted as he walked through the patio doors, pushing the end button on his phone. "Nice save there, Uncle Seb, nice save."

Seb smiled wryly at him before saying, in an overly polite voice, "Well it was better than anything you could have come up with." Jay scowled in return before moving to help Luna chop the fruits for the smoothie.

Edward coughed quietly to garner everyone's attention again.

He looked kind of uncomfortable and out of place in the midst of my family's teasing unlike Alice, who was sitting there laughing at their corny jokes and smiling at the easy banter and just plain old having fun watching them. It was like this every time they came here. I would have joined in, Renesmee too, but I was too scared to say anything to them in front of Edward. Nessie was just following my move, probably just as scared.

At one point I had almost gotten up and hugged Edward, wanting to comfort him, but decided against it. Alice knew this too because she had roughly shoved my shoulder, still smiling, and subtly shook her head no. It was a good thing that I had her tucked safely under my shield, otherwise our cover would have been blown by now.

Ash laughed softly under her breath, shaking her dark jet black hair away from her face. "We didn't forget you, Edward. Sometimes we just forget what it's like to have other people around us." She smiled again and turned to the doors behind her, another laugh bubbling out of her. "Ahh, it seems that everyone else has returned from their hunt. Let's move to the sitting room shall we?" As she stood, I noticed that she wasn't really with us. Seb noticed too for he was at her side at once, an arm wrapped loosely around her waist and the other holding her hand as they walked. To someone who didn't know their routine would have mistaken it as him being very protective of her.

I looked back to the table where Edward was still sitting, his brow furrowed in confusion. As if sensing my gaze, he looked up at me and right into the soul he believes none of us have. "How did she know that, I couldn't see her mind?"

I smiled through my nervousness and simply said, "She can see the future."

_**~ OoooOoOoooO ~**_

Carlisle leaned forward excitedly from the loveseat where he sat next to Esme across from Ashskhen. He looked like he was ready to burst with his excitement.

When he first caught sight of the Ash, Carlisle looked like he had seen a ghost. He just stood in the doorway, frozen like a block of ice, when she had hugged him as soon as she saw him. Apparently, when Carlisle had stayed with the Volturi he had met Ash and Nick during his stay and had become fascinated with their obvious human eyes and vampire complexion. And of course, no heartbeat. Then he became even more intrigued when he found out that they were Aro's kids. Ever since then he couldn't stop thinking about the little mystery that he had stumbled upon.

"So how have you been, Ashskhen?" he asked, leaning even further off his seat. "Anything interesting happen since we last saw each other?"

Ash looked away and chuckled under her breath before dragging a hand through her dark hair. "Carlisle, it's not going to work like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Edward was here first, he gets to ask anything and everything he wants to before anyone else. That's the way it's always been for me. You know what they say, 'the early bird gets the worm'," she said, looking pointedly at him, Italian accent long gone. He nodded minutely. "Thank you…Now, Edward, what do you want to ask me?" Ash smiled at him from beside me. Her smile was inviting and hypnotizing, almost like she was trying to get him to spill all of his secrets.

He blinked at her once before looking down. "Bella said that she didn't remember anything from her human life…and you seem like you were there just before her change…So my question is, what happened to her?" It was like a lump had formed in my throat, but I knew it was all in my head.

Ashley pursed her lips. "Are you sure you don't want to ask your other question first, Edward? It's best if you ask that one because, quite frankly Edward, you won't like the answer of this one." She actually looked concerned for him, but deep in her green eyes I saw that dangerous glint there like when she would get upset with Aro and tell him that she wouldn't speak to him again.

Edward looked at her for a beat longer and shook his head a moment later, sighing. "What is Renesmee? She's obviously not a vampire." Ashley smiled at him before turning to Renesmee, who sat on my other side.

"Since that's a question that's not really meant for me, allow Renesmee answer it. Go on, _innamorata_." She smiled at Ness encouragingly before winking at me through the dark curtain of her hair.

_What game is she playing here?_

Renesmee tucked her bronze hair behind her ears and wrapped her arms around one of my own. She gazed at her father before closing her eyes, hiding herself away from him. "What do you want to know?"

Edward leaned toward us, resting is arms on his legs. His gaze was intense and fiery as he stared at her, and for a split second, I thought he glanced at me. "What are you? You're obviously not a vampire. And you're not human. So what else could you be?"

"I'm what you would call a hybrid. I'm neither human nor vampire…but both," she told him, glancing at me and Ashley as if in encouragement. I didn't know what to do so I just smiled.

"How is that possible? What were your parents?"

Ness looked down before looking up at him from under her lashes. "Mom was human at the time, when she was still carrying me, and Dad…Dad was a vampire. And you know, they did it the old fashion way…They had sex to conceive me to put it bluntly." I watched as Edward's shoulders slumped. You could hear him muttering to himself that it wasn't possible.

Oh, but Edward, it was possible. That only time that we were together, you gave me our beautiful daughter. And she's the most precious gift that you could ever give me.

Now, if only I could tell you the truth without hurting you…But a little voice in the back of my head asked me why he left if he supposedly loved me. I couldn't always take Alice's word, especially with something like this…

His head snapped up then, his gaze trained straight on me. "What happened at the birth?" he asked. It was clearly meant for me, but a voice coming from the doorway answered instead.

"One the day of Renesmee's birth, it was nearly a year after conception. A gypsy helped with slowing down Bella's accelerated pregnancy so that it was like that; otherwise Nessie would have been born a month later in October of '05…That was a horrible day if you think about it. Blood spilt on the floor, the study being splattered with blood from Nessie tearing her way out of Bella's womb, Bella's spine and pelvis breaking. It was like something out of a horror movie," Nick said, shaking the rain off of him. Caroline was standing next to him, looking like she just walked off the runway in her little designer outfit.

Ashley stood, her arms spread out in welcome. "How nice of you to finally join us, Brother," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him.

"Yeah, well, that little succubus that lives next to us was trying to bury another victim of hers in her backyard. Bella's lucky that there are few immortals that live in her neighborhood," Nick explained. I frowned as he shook his hair like a wet dog. He did that every time it rained and he came in the house. He saw my frown and smirked. "I'll repaint the walls if you want, Bella."

It was a joke, obviously. "Yeah, go ahead, Nick. That would be so nice of you to do." I smiled sweetly at him as he sat in the only open seat, grumbled under his breath about sarcastic nieces and abnormal weather patterns.

Edward was still staring at me, everyone was staring – even Alice. She clearly gave me that look that said, _you better tell me everything, Missy!_ "Is what he said true, Bella?" It was Jasper that asked, speaking for the first time since he came back to the house. I was kinda surprised that he would even ask.

I nodded slowly, my eyes locking with his. "It's very true. It's essentially the only thing that I remember from my human life and I refuse to know anything else. I have a feeling that I may not like what I remember…"

_Lies, so many lies…_ My gaze landed on Jason as he stared out the window, pretending he didn't just do that.

"Jason Perseus Jenks," I growled out through clenched teeth. "It's not _polite_ to project your thoughts onto other people." He looked at me for a second, measuring my anger, before looking away in shame.

"Sorry, Aunt Bella." Caroline walked over to her son and stared him down even though she was several inches shorter than him.

She stared at him for a few minutes before saying, "Why must you always do this, Jason? You know not to do that unless it's an emergency. And that _clearly_ wasn't an emergency!"

"I'm really sorry, Mom. It's just that you know that half the things we do are all lies. And it's getting old really fast," he whispered, still not looking her in the eye.

Caroline looked like she would cry if she could. It was odd; she was always the tough one between her and Nick. "Well, just don't do it unless you have to, okay? Not when you feel like it, sweetie." He nodded before going upstairs, leaving everybody to stare after him. Caroline smiled timidly as they turned their attention to her and pursed her lips.

"Don't mind my son, he's always upset about something," she said. I felt bad for her. I'm glad Renesmee doesn't pull stunts like that; otherwise I'd be so far past crazy right now.

"Anymore questions? You can ask us anything." Caroline smiled again, a real smile this time, before moving to sit in Nick's lap.

* * *

**It's been awhile since the last update, but RL is a bitch to deal with. Take pity on me and review. In return I'll check out your stories and give you a little preview of the next chapter.**

**Until next time, TwinGemini  
3-18-11**


	6. Where Have You Been

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 6: Where Have You Been?**

_**Bella POV**_

Carlisle seized the opportunity and asked a not-so-surprising question. "Do any of you have any gifts? It's obvious that Jason has one."

"Yeah, my son has a gift. It's the same one that I have actually…" Nick said, pulling Caroline into his lap. "We can both project our thoughts onto other people. And, no, Carlisle, it hasn't manifested in the past three centuries." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully before looking at Caroline.

"I don't really have a gift, but I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

Carlisle leaned forward, a shining light in his eyes. "Really? How persuasive can you be, Caroline?"

She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Carlisle, you'll go get Jason from upstairs whether he wants to or not. Won't you?" He nodded and stood, with a dazed look, and started for the stairs. About halfway there he stopped and looked back at us, shocked, like he couldn't believe that just happened.

"That was fascinating! I almost thought I was going to go get him. What you can do is quite different than anything I've ever encountered. "

She smiled bashfully. "Thank you. I think," she laughed. Carlisle laughed with her before looking at Seb.

"I can touch objects and see their past as if it was my own. For example," he said, picking up the crystal vase Mom gave me as a housewarming gift, "take this vase. I can see that Bella's mother had bought it at the local antique store about fifteen years ago. Then she wrapped a ribbon around it and filled it with fresh freesia and red roses. And on the day Bella had finally finished moving into the house Renee gave it as a housewarming gift that same day. The rest, as they say, is history."

Every one of the Cullens stared at him as he placed the vase back.

"That's so _cool_," Emmett said, leaning forward from his seat beside Rosalie.

Seb smiled at him and murmured a soft thank you before burying his nose in Ash's hair.

"What about you, Ashley?" Carlisle asked, turning his gaze onto her.

She smiled before glancing at me once. "I can still objectively see the future. Sometimes I can restore someone's damaged memories."

"What do you mean?" It was Alice this time.

"You know how when you're turned into a vampire your human memories turn blurry, foggy almost? Well I can make them clear, like the memories you make now."

Carlisle's eyes widened as he stared at her. "That's fascinating. Your power's manifested wondrously since we last met." Ash nodded at him before leaning toward Seb for a kiss.

Luna unceremoniously flicked her parents in the back of their heads. "Get a room why don't you?" she spit, before leaning away from them.

"You know what honey? You're right," Ash said, tugging Sebastian's hand and moving toward the front door. "Call us if you need us."

Silence bathed the room after they left. We sat there for like half an hour. It was so silent that it made Jason come down and check if we were still here.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked at us. "Awkward…" he said, drawing the word out.

Emmett started to guffaw loudly and slap his knee suddenly, making Renesmee flinch from beside me. "Emmett you big buffoon! What the hell's wrong with you?" Rosalie snapped, slapping him in the back of the head.

"Rosie, baby, I was trying to break the tension in the room," he whined, trying to kiss her. She turned her head away from him while Alice giggled at them.

Rose and Emmett started to really go at it - yelling and screaming at each other about some nonsensical shit. Rosalie would stop yelling only to start hitting Emmett repeatedly until he started to cower away from her.

Esme sighed, covering her face with her hands. "Will you two stop already? You're embarrassing us, Rosalie, Emmett."

They stopped and froze before turning to look at me. Rosalie looked down, not moving for a minute before looking up at me from under her lashes.

"Sorry, Bella," she whispered.

I smiled softly at her. "It's okay, Rose."

"Yeah," Nick said, laughing under his breath. "It's more than okay. You and Emmett are our form of entertainment for the day…This has been the most exciting day around here in a few months." Jason snickered under his breath, quite like his father, causing Jasper to take notice of him.

"Bella called you Jason Jenks." Jay nodded at him, glancing at Nick and Carol once, then me.

"Yeah…that's my name, don't wear it out…" It came out as a question.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "What happened to J. Jenks?"

I felt my brow furrowed. "Do you mean the middle-aged man with the paunch who would start sweating whenever he saw one of us?" Jasper raised an eyebrow at my spot on description and nodded.

Jason doubled over, laughing his ass off like he had heard the funniest thing in the world as Jasper and the others stared at him like he was crazy. "That wasn't me. That was a human scared into taking your case after the first one died…

"I actually remember you. I remember the old man would report back to me every time you would ask for papers. He would start to fidget and sweat and try to be comfortable in my presence, but it just wouldn't happen."

Jason shook his head, looking past Jasper with a distant look in his eyes. He seemed to be in a whole other world now…

Carlisle leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "What happened to Mr. Jenks, Jason?"

Jay blinked and focused his gaze on the Cullen family patriarch. "Isaiah Edwards died tomorrow a month from now seven years ago…" We all looked at each other, then away. Mr. Edwards had become like a valued family member to all of us, especially to Jason.

Isaiah was like the "perfect protégé" as he would put it.

He had already gone through law school, at an Ivy League one no less, and had known the ropes so to speak from Jason's first charge. It was the perfect set up in Jason's eyes – someone that could do the job without being taught after given the work.

Caroline laid her hand softly on her son's shoulder and whispered words of sympathy to him. Everyone knew how close Jason and Isaiah could be, even though Isaiah was really afraid of us.

I looked away from everybody and closed my eyes, wondering what I was going to do with the current situation. It was just another big cluster fuck that came back to bite me in the ass after all of these years.

I was tired of pretending to be something that I wasn't but it was part of being in a society filled with mostly humans.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, almost timid – like the person on the other side was afraid what they were going to find. "I'll get it," I sighed, standing from the couch. I smoothed Renesmee's hair back from her face as I passed, pulling my hand from her death grip. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart."

I flung the front door open and just stared at the vampire standing on my porch, feeling my anger rise.

The nerve of him to come here after all of these weeks! Who the hell does he think he is?

I stared at him for a full second more before lunging for his throat. "What the hell? I ask you to come a month ago, and you're _just_ showing up!" I snarled, swiping at the place my brother was just standing in.

I asked Andrew for one measly little favor and he can't even do that! I don't remember how many times I bailed his fucking ass out when he got in trouble.

He was supposed to be here for me because he's my so called "biggest supporter" in all of this crap. Andrew promised me he would always be there for me whenever I needed him.

_What kind of fucking brother is he supposed to be?_

I ran to the side of the house where his scent stopped and lunged for him again. He sidestepped me and moved to stand behind me. I turned and crouched like I was the catcher at a baseball game. "Come on! Let's have a friendly brotherly and sisterly _talk…_" I sneered, taunting him. He growled at me before launching himself at me. I snarled back at Andrew just as viciously.

Suddenly, everyone was outside with us. Jason and Nick were holding Andrew back as he struggled, gradually calming down. Renesmee and Alice and Rose all swarmed around me, asking if I was okay. I smiled reassuringly at them before shrugging off Rose and Alice off. Renesmee was harder; she was literally clinging to my back like a little spider monkey.

I walked toward Andrew, almost stalking forward like he was my prey, until I was directly in front of him. He stared at me with sorrow eyes, silently asking for forgiveness. I subtly shook my head and slapped him so hard his head snapped back with the force of my blow.

"Let him go." Jason and Nick pulled their arms away, letting Andrew fall limp into my arms. I pulled him up until he was standing on his own two feet before wrapping my arms around him.

"Now, you listen to me, Andrew. I will forgive you for what you did…Under one condition, that is," I whispered softly into his ear, well aware of the ears listening.

He pulled back slightly so he could look me in the face. "Name your condition and I'll do it – no matter what it is."

I smirked slightly. _Yeah, we'll see about that._

"Forgive the one person that you said you hated more than anything else in this entire world." Andrew gasped, breaking away from my grip stumbling back a few steps away from me like he had been tased.

In the back of my mind I registered that Caroline and Luna had gasped too, but I only focused on my brother.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" I only nodded, my gaze unwavering.

I stared at him, taking in Andrew's filthy and torn clothes. He looked like he had been wrestling with a bear out in the forest and let it have the upper hand in the fight.

His dark blackish-brown hair was sticking up in every direction and I felt like I was actually really looking at my brother for the first time since he got here.

Aside from his hair and clothes, Andrew's eyes were pitch black like he hadn't fed in months and there were dark, bruise like shadows around them like someone had given him two black eyes, making him look like a really ugly raccoon.

His arms, exposed by the short sleeves of his t-shirt, were covered with impressions of teeth. There was even one on the side of his neck.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like shit," I asked, all concerned for his well being now.

He snorted and shook his head. "What the hell happened to me? Well, first of all, some fucking nomads thought it was funny to just attack me out of nowhere for no goddamn reason. Second, I woke up a grizzly bear and got into fight with it for fun before I fed from it. Oh, and some _more_ fucking nomads tried to kill me." By now my eyebrows were raised far up my head. "Yeah, I just barely survived, so, _sorry_ for coming back late."

"You do know that that shit only ever happens to you, right?" I asked, looking at the bite marks littered on his arms.

He gave me a tight lipped smile before rubbing his arms like the bites were going to go away. "Yeah, I know it does. And it all happened in the same week. I was thinking to myself, where the hell is all this bad luck coming from. It's not that common to see like five nomads within a four day time span all in the same area."

Renesmee leaned around me to get a better look at her uncle before saying, "You know, Uncle Andrew, Mom's right. You look like some shit out of a horror movie."

He threw his head back at gave a loud laugh before pulling her into a tight embrace. "You always know what to say to make me laugh, don't you, Nessie?" She laughed with him before pulling back to look at his arms.

"This looks like it hurt."

He nodded and said, "It did. You don't ever want to get bitten by a vampire."

My eyes narrowed to slits as I pulled Renesmee into my side hugging her tightly to me. "Yes, you don't ever want to get bitten. So let's hope that it never happens," I said through clenched teeth, staring meaningfully at Andrew.

He raised his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't, but still. Imagine if you had a son or daughter, would you ever want them to get hurt?" Andrew looked down rubbing at his arms still, and shook his head 'no'. "I didn't think so."

Renesmee shifted her eyes first at me then Andrew again and again before wrapping an arm around one of mine and one of his. Smiling, she looked up at both of us and said, "No more fighting. Let's go inside before the sun shows itself and exposes everyone but me." Nessie smiled at us again, dragging me and Andrew behind her as she went.

As we followed my daughter, I noticed that everyone was still in shock but coming out of their stupor as they slowly trickled into the house behind us. Andrew always had this way of making someone second guess him and somehow piss them off without really doing anything. He did the same thing to me just hiding away to lick his wounds, for self-preservation.

I remember Ashley once telling me that Nessie had bitten him, right on the palm of his hand, while I was still burning through my change. It had sounded farfetched, but Renesmee showed me exactly what had happened through her curious little gift. Only one thing didn't make any sense. _Why would she bite her uncle of all people?_

I later found out that Ash had told her that Andrew was someone she could bite, that he was somebody who had come to hurt Mommy. Let's just say that I flipped out on her and leave it at that…

But then again, it kind of did make sense it in another way.

It's not my fault that my older brother smells human sometimes and that he got so scared of his only niece when she was barely a day old that he had to run away like a little girl, not even making sure that his sister was okay before leaving.

Yeah, it's not like I'm holding anything against him.

As Renesmee sat down in the center of the couch she pulled me and Andrew down with her, giggling the whole time. She smiled, letting out another peal of laughter that reminded me of chiming bells, before turning to her uncle and telling him how pissed off I was last month when he was a no show. I leaned back and just watched them, uncle and his little niece, talk about trivial things like school and books and music. Deep down, I knew it was her way of telling him everything that he missed in the past six months.

A sharp pain pricked my heart once before disappearing as my thoughts drifted off to Edward. What would he do when he finally found out the truth? How would he react to finding out that he has a full grown daughter and that she was right there, within arm's reach?

What would he do to _me_?

I felt the pain again shock my still, dead heart as I stared at him with wide eyes from across the room as he spoke with Alice, demanding from her the secrets that she's keeping. For me.

As if he felt the intensity of my gaze, he froze, forgetting his one-sided conversation with Alice, and turned to stare back at me.

For an immeasurable amount of time we stared at each other, our gazes unwavering from the other. I could see all of his questions burning behind his beautiful topaz eyes, asking me each and every one of them, daring me to answer. I blinked and looked away from him, feeling the burn of my unshed tears.

Feeling the sudden shift in my emotions, Jasper was suddenly standing behind the couch directly where I was sitting. Looking up at him, my eyes still holding my tears for they would never fall, I saw the sympathy and understanding in his eyes as he gave me a soft smile.

And as he sent a wave of calm over me, I knew that Alice had told him.

"Don't give up hope, Bella. Everything will be fine in the end," Jasper whispered as he softly squeezed my shoulder as he walked away.

It was then that I finally believed him and everyone that was telling me that it would be okay. As long nothing stood in our way to harm everyone that I loved, and I didn't give up hope as Jasper said, everything would end in my favor…

The room suddenly felt colder, if that made any sense, as a key slowly turned the lock on the front door.

I could feel the sudden tension roll thick through the room, amplified several times by everyone's emotions being dumped onto Jasper, causing Renesmee to gasp embarrassingly loud in the sudden quiet. Slowly I stood, realizing that everyone had left except for the Cullens, and moved to stand beside my brother in the foyer facing the door.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the door swung open and a sudden strong gust of wind blew into the house, blowing the scent of the person standing on the threshold toward us.

Closing my eyes, I breathed the scent in, taking in its floral aroma. Automatically my eyes snapped open and settled on my baby sister and her husband standing off to the side holding their son, who curiously gazed at us with his chocolate eyes, in his arms.

"I told you, Paola. You should have knocked like a normal person," he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes at his wife behind her back.

"Shut up, James. A normal person uses the key to their own home," she said, turning slightly in his direction. James sighed and muttered under his breath that it was her sister's house. I felt, rather than saw, Andrew cringe as Paola rose on the tips of her toes to look her husband in the eye. "What did you say?" she asked, too calm for my liking.

It was my turn to roll my eyes this time. "Okay, that's enough! First of all, this is my house, Paola. Second, there will be no fighting in here. If you and James would like to have a little chat go right ahead, be my guest. Just give Renesmee Anthony so that he can rest and go outside." They both sobered a bit, looking down as if scolded by Mom.

Paola looked up at me and Andrew, a wide smile overtaking her beautiful face. "Feels like old times, doesn't it? It's good to be home."

* * *

**Okay, then…I have no excuse for not updating for two months, but what-the-fuck-ever. I've had so many things to do, which translated means:"**_**I've been sitting on my ass reading **_**your**_** fanfics and leaving the occasional review!" **_

**So do me a favor and do the same for me since you have now finished the latest chapter. **

**Favorite this story or put on alert, whichever works for you because they both work for me, and LEAVE ME A STINKIN' REVIEW! I'M DESPERATE OVER HERE!**

**With lots of love, Gem  
5-19-11**

**P.S. You don't really have to leave a review if you don't want to…But I rather you did…**


	7. Nightmare

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else but her.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 7: Nightmare**

_**Edward POV**_

I watched as the young girl flitted forward, hugging Andrew first then Bella. She looked to be younger than Andrew but older than Bella, but it was hard to say because she was also a vampire like the rest of us. Automatically, though, you could tell that she was related to the both of them. She had the same dark hair, the shape of my Bella's lips and nose, and the _'I don't care'_ attitude Andrew demonstrated to us after he caught sight of my family. And, of course, there was the small detail that I couldn't read any of their minds.

It must run in the family or something…

The man that arrived with her, James as Bella had said his name was, looked nothing like the one from before. This one had a kind face according to Esme and Carlisle. He had dirty blonde hair that slicked back from his face, the same amber eyes as everyone else, and was tall as Emmett but was thin with a thin sunken in face. He seemed to be very protective of the girl he arrived with.

I watched as Renesmee hugged the girl briefly, a huge grin on her face, before moving toward James. She also gave him a hug, even shorter than the one she gave the girl, before looking at the small child in his arms. "Hi, Anthony. Look at you, you're such a big boy now, aren't you?" she cooed, reaching her arms out for the boy. I saw through James' eyes how she looked at him as if asking to take the child from him.

He nodded at once, surrendering the boy to her. Automatically, Nessie lightly touched the child's cheek with the tips of her fingers as she deftly propped him against her hip as if she had done it thousands of times before. In the boy's mind I saw bursts of light and images and could feel the emotions tied to them. It was like a chronological slideshow passing through his mind. So vivid and clear, it was like looking at one of Alice's visions as it came to her.

A part of my mind continued to watch with the boy while the other focused on Bella's daughter as she ascended the stairs. "If you need me, I'll be upstairs," she called behind her, still focusing on the giggling toddler in her arms. Nessie said it casually, like a human would.

It wasn't like we couldn't hear her or vice versa.

Once she was halfway up the staircase, Renesmee pulled her fingers away from the boy's cheek and the images in his head stopped. He laughed and squealed "Again, Nessie, again!" clapping his little hands together. She laughed with him and laid her fingers back onto his cheek. The images returned.

With a start, I gasped, realizing that _Renesmee_ was the one putting those images into his head.

_Son,_ Carlisle thought frantically, _are you okay?_

_Bro, what the fuck is wrong with you? _Emmett thought, giving me the patented 'what the fuck' look.

I nodded stiffly once, still watching Nessie as she froze mid step. Slowly, she turned and locked eyes with me. Her eyes, so much like her mother's, searched mine – for what, I'll never know – but whatever she found there must have been enough. She blinked at me with her dark eyes before disappearing up the rest of the stairs.

"Edward?" I turned to the sound of my name being called by my love. "Are you okay?" Her amber eyes searched my face with worry and that same unidentifiable emotion from all the other times she would look at me. It was frustrating not knowing what was going on in her head.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." She smiled at me, a real smile this time, not one of those awkward ones from before, but a real genuine smile. I smiled back at her, happy that I could be that much closer to her.

I blinked, realizing that Andrew and the girl were staring at me curiously. She, the girl, stepped forward holding out her hand for me to shake, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Hi, my name is Paola, and this," she said, pointing to the blonde, "is my husband, James. The little boy that Renesmee whisked away upstairs is our son, Anthony…I'm Bella's little sister." I froze and stared at her, wondering if she was serious or trying to pull my leg. A full second passed and I realized that she was serious.

I smiled back at her and said, "Edward Cullen." I gestured to the others. "And this is my family."

Paola smiled at me, a knowing looking glinting in her golden eyes. "I know who you are, all of you. I was a freshman when you were a junior at Forks High School all those years ago…I would say how I knew all of you, but a certain _someone_ would get upset if I did," she said, looking back at Bella. The look on her face made me think that she was just humoring Bella. But, for what…?

Andrew snickered once before walking from the room. "I'll be in the study, waiting for you to enlighten us with the reason why you're here, because a little birdie told me that you were supposed to return in October, Paola, not August," he called back. She pressed her lips together at his retreating back but didn't deny it.

She turned away from me to look at Bella. "He's right, something happened on our last stop."

"We had to flee the country within the night just in case, Bella," James whispered, pulling Paola into his arms. Bella nodded her head, lowering her eyes to the floor.

Slowly she looked up at her sister, resignation in her eyes. "A vampire saw you with Anthony and assumed he was an immortal child. Am I right?"

Paola nodded, her bottom lip quivering along with the rest of her body. Suddenly a sharp, high-pitched wail rang through the air and the accompanying cries that followed it. I watched as James wrapped his arms tightly around Paola and soothed her with calming words that seemed to help her. It was like intruding on a private moment between two lovers as I stood there and watched them…

It was almost too intimate to watch.

Paola timidly took a step back and gave James a watery smile, her tears still welled in her eyes, never to fall. "I'm okay now," she whispered. Bella stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her little sister on her other side, and ushered her pass the living room and through a doorway with the rest of us following closely behind the three of them.

As soon as I stepped into the room, I was assaulted by the awed thoughts of my family as they gazed around the room. Three of the walls were covered with portraits and photos and floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with hundreds of books. The fourth wall had three evenly spaced windows with shelves on the walls in between them.

The shelves homed various objects like little bottles of colored sand that were labeled with their origins, clay figurines that looked like miniature versions of Bella and Andrew and Ashley and all off the other people I had met today, and other little items that seemed to define the people that lived here.

What little you could see of the walls was painted a dark blue with golden accents. On the matching dark blue ceiling, an ornate wrought iron Victorian style chandelier swung. The light that hit the diamonds on the chandelier made it seem as if stars were twinkling down at us as we walked by.

And in the very center of the room sat a familiar grand piano on a raised platform where Andrew stood, staring at his upset sister. I stopped short a few feet away from it as the rest of my family continued to look in wonder at the rest of the room. Automatically, I knew it was the very same piano from the house…But how could it be here? The house was gone, demolished according to city records.

Bella was suddenly standing beside me, staring at the object of my fixation. "Where did you get the piano?" It was already out of my mouth before I could over think it.

A sad smile that I didn't understand crept up onto her face as she looked up at me. "I don't know, Edward. You're going to have to ask Ashley that. She brought it in here one day a few years ago, saying that it needed a new home…" She trailed off, looking into my eyes with an expectant expression before it faded away.

We stood there in silence for a few moments before she wrapped an arm around one of mine just as Andrew sat on the piano bench. I felt that same electric shock that I first experienced as she lightly squeezed my bicep and pulled me forward towards the front of the group.

"What exactly happened in Europe?" Andrew asked, looking at his sister.

Paola looked out one of the windows, away from everyone, her mind in another place. James stood a few feet behind her, his blonde hair smoothed back more so than earlier. "Sweetheart…" he trailed off, placing one of his hands on her shoulder and squeezing.

She smiled softly at him over her shoulder. Paola sighed once before speaking.

"We were in Italy, somewhere outside of Volterra, when it happened. We had gotten into a cab, and when the driver looked at us with his dark crimson eyes, I knew it was too late to turn back. No one said anything, but when Anthony started asking me and James questions, I swear, the driver almost drove us off the side of the road." She broke off, sighing again and sinking onto one of the chairs by the window.

"Paola…" Bella prompted, breaking her grip from my arm and flitting over to sit on the arm of the chair her sister sat in. Already, I felt the loss of her touch…

Bella's sister sniffed once in the quiet, laying her head in Bella's lap. "As we continued down the road, he – the driver – kept looking back at us, his beady fucking red eyes watching my son in the mirror…When he finally dropped us off at the hotel in Florence, he stopped us. And do you know what he said?" Paola looked around the room, a sneer on her face.

Emmett was so enthralled by her story that he was literally bouncing on his feet in anticipation. "What? What did the cab driver say?" he asked.

Paola sniffed and closed her eyes. "He said, and I quote, 'Io so che cosa è e io ti report per la creazione del bambino.' I was so relieved when he finally drove off..."

Emmett timidly raised his hand, like he was sitting in a classroom and was afraid of his teacher or something. "Could you repeat that in English? My Italian isn't that great," he asked, looking down like he was told he was a failure.

"'I know what it is and I will turn you in for the creation of the child'," Carlisle said, translating it for Paola. "Am I right?"

She nodded her head once. Bella's brow furrowed as she gazed unseeingly out the window behind her. "What did the vampire look like?"

Paola squeezed her eyes shut tight. "His face will forever be etched into my mind…" she whispered. James slowly sank onto the other arm of the chair and Paola flung her arms around him before he could do or say anything.

"The vamp was Spaniard looking, with short dark hair that kind of hung in front of his eyes like a dark curtain. He had a scar, from a vampire bite, on his cheek…" Paola trailed off again, stood and walked toward the door, James trailing behind her.

Andrew blinked once before standing from the piano bench. "Well, that was weird, but I guess that's what happens when someone accuses you of creating an immortal child," he said, looking at all of us with an odd look in his eyes. "I'll be in my room if you need me." And just like that, he was gone.

Bella sighed making everyone look at her. "Come on, I'll show you your rooms." Alice squealed once before flitting over to Bella's side and grabbing one of her arms.

"Oh, Bella, I already love my room," Alice shrieked, dragging a shocked Bella toward the stairs behind her. "How did you know that I wanted the room with the biggest closet?"

Bella's eyes were wide as saucers as she looked helplessly back at us. "Help me!" she mouthed.

I chuckled before following after them with everyone else behind me…

_**~~~~MS~~~~**_

I rapped my knuckles softly against the door "Renesmee?" I called out, opening one of the oak double doors to her room. She looked up at me from her bed, genuinely happy to see me.

"Hi, Edward," she whispered, placing a book of Tennyson's poems down on the bedside table. "What can I do for you?" I watched as she subconsciously stroked Anthony's blonde hair without ever looking down at him.

I stepped fully into the room until I was standing near the foot of her bed, glancing once at Esme as she glided passed me and into the room her and Carlisle share that Bella gave to them. "Anthony looks just like James, but with your eyes."

She smirked, glancing at the little boy next to her. "Yeah, they're not really _my_ eyes. Apparently, Mom, Uncle Drew, and Aunt Paola all had the same eyes when they were human…" Ness looked down adoringly at the little boy. "Aunt Paola almost died giving birth to him…I almost didn't think it was possible to have a child like Anthony if I hadn't seen my vampire aunt pregnant and bitchy," she whispered, laughing softly at some unspoken thought.

"What is he? Bella said he wasn't an immortal child and Paola and James were really upset earlier." I looked at the boy in question, noticing his pale lavender eyelids fluttered slightly, like he was asleep.

"Anthony was born full vampire, but with more human qualities than a human turned into a vampire. Like his eyes and his ability to interact with a human without fear of getting exposed. He can sleep, walk in sunlight, do most things a human can…But he can't eat and he has the reflexes of a normal vampire. That's how you can tell he's not a normal little boy. And, he's _very_ smart." Renesmee stroked his back once more before looking back up at me.

"You should talk to Luna or Jason if you want to know more…They're like him, too."

I nodded thoughtfully. "And, you're not…"

She shook her head, her familiar red-brown hair framing her face now. "Like I said, I'm a hybrid of sorts. I'm half human – from Mom – and half vampire – from _Dad_," she told me again, giving me this look that said that I should know what she's really trying to say. But, again, I felt that sharp pain at my heart that reminded me that my love had a little girl with another vampire and didn't remember me or my family.

I nodded sharply, trying to placate her from my inner turmoil, but something told me that she wasn't fooled. Not one bit. "Well, that's nice to know, I suppose…I came in here to ask you something."

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, standing from the bed and scooping a sleeping Anthony into her arms without breaking stride. "What were you going to ask me, Edward?"

"I wanted to ask you where you mom's room is. I need to talk to her about something." Ness gave me this conspiratorial smile – like she knew something that I didn't – then laughed at some unspoken thought.

As she darted to my side, Anthony muttered something about scary people with red eyes as he continued to sleep. I looked at Anthony once with wide eyes then glanced back at her. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at the boy. "Oh, my God!" she muttered.

_What I wouldn't give to read her mind right now…_

Ness blew past me then suddenly reappeared, barely rousing Anthony awake. "Sorry," she sighed. "James told me to bring him to them if something like that happened…You have that corner room that overlooks the backyard, right – with the glass window walls? That was Mom's old study, but that's beside the point. Mom's got the master bedroom, which is right across the hall from there." She said it all in one breath before disappearing down the hall and into one of the rooms, Anthony still in her arms.

I blinked once then went up the stairs and kept going until I stopped in front of Bella's door. Timidly I knocked once, then again when there was no answer.

"Bella?" I called out as I opened the door to her bedroom. What I saw shocked me to no end.

In the very center of the room laid my love on her bed. It was king sized with an antique wrought iron bed frame. Painted a faded bronze that fit with the rest of the room, the bed frame was sturdy looking. The entire thing looked like it would survive a pounding into Bella's tight pussy…if I could convince her that we were together when she was human, or if we ever got back together again…I shook my head to dispel those inappropriate thoughts and focused on my love.

She looked like she was asleep, but that was impossible. Vampires can't sleep, at all. In my entire existence, I have never heard of any vampires being able to sleep. Not once. But now, it seems as if everything I know has been proven wrong.

Unable to stop myself, I moved to the side of the bed. Bella had the sheets pulled up to her waist, her arms lying placidly at her sides. She had a periwinkle tank top on and her hair was pulled back from her face. Even in death, she still took away my breath.

_I wish you remembered me. _

_I wish you knew I love you. _

_I wish you knew I lied._

A sharp pain emanated from my heart, taking over my entire body and pushing me down onto my knees. It felt as if someone had stuck their hand in my chest and wrapped it around my heart, squeezed it and then tried to tear it out of my body. The pain was unbearable. It reminded me of the time before the entire family came and dragged me out of that shack in South America when I no longer had my Bella – when I no longer had a reason to live.

My attempt to give her a chance at a normal human life was futile. She had still become a vampire, even with the presence of me and my family taken away it had still happened. And she doesn't remember anything from before she woke up that first time. To make it even worse she refuses to know anything important from her human life other than her family.

I watched her as she laid there, motionless and ethereal in the moonlight that spilled into the room. Her lips moved but no sound came out. Again they moved, but I could hear the words that softly left her lips. "Don't," she whispered. "Don't do this."

I froze and just stared at her. Those were the same exact words that she used when I told her we were leaving.

_You fucking idiot! You lied to her and told her you didn't love her. What did you expect? For her to be dancing and singing show tunes while you're gone?_ I closed my eyes and grabbed one of Bella's hands in both of mine and laid my head on the edge of the bed.

I wish I could make everything right again.

"Alice is gone?" she whispered with the same amount of disbelief as before. I peeked at her and the first thing I saw was her face twisted in pain. And my own pain hit me like a ton of bricks.

I watched her for hours, for any signs of her waking up from whatever this was. But she never did. Bella was barely breathing as is.

But then everything changed, her breathing turned normal and the hand I was holding was gripping mine tightly. Then she started to speak in whispers again. "Ash..." she sighed. "He can't know about her…He'll hate me for keeping her away from him." I blinked once and stared at her. What she said didn't make any sense. Who will hate her?

I sighed and continued to watch Bella, waiting for her to say something, anything, else. Half an hour passed until she finally did, but it sounded like a nightmare more than anything else.

"Please. Please, don't leave me!" she whimpered. "I can't lose you…I love you." Slowly I felt her hand slip out of mine and back at her side, making me feel empty again.

I stared at her, confused and shocked, but most of all helpless. I wanted to help her, but I couldn't. Bella was quiet again, but then I watched as her body tensed and she sucked in a breath.

For one second, everything was calm. Then a gut-wrenching scream rang though the air from my love and all hell broke loose.

Unable to bear the pain from hearing her screams, I flung myself across the room beside the double doors. Suddenly they flew open and Renesmee came flying into the room with Alice and Rosalie and everyone else hot on her heels. Without breaking stride, Ness moved up onto the bed and straddled Bella's hips and gripped her shoulders.

"Mom!" she cried, pulling Bella until she was in a sitting position. Bella gasped at once, her eyes searching the room automatically, taking in every one of us before settling her gaze on her daughter.

"What? What is it?" she asked frantically. Bella breathed in once and her gaze snapped from her daughter to me. _She knew I was in here the entire time…_

Nessie put each of her hands on either side of Bella's face, forcing her to look in her daughter's eyes. "Mom," she sighed softly, "you were screaming…Do you want me to call Ashley? Something like this hasn't happened since I was a little girl." Bella shook her head and sighed, pulling Nessie's hands away from her face.

"No, don't. I'm fine, sweetheart…It was just some bad memories from a time that I both loved and hated…" Bella trailed off and stoked her daughter's hair. It was like their roles were reversed. Instead of Bella comforting her daughter, Renesmee was comforting her mother. It was odd, but it reminded me of what Bella had told me about her relationship with her own mother - that she was the parent instead of the child.

Jasper walked into the room like a man on a mission, barely paying attention to the weird and concerned looks from Rosalie and Carlisle. Without breaking stride he closed the door next to me behind him and then spread a false calm through the room. I calmed down considerably and the pain and fear dissipated from my body like steam rising from a kettle. He narrowed his eyes at me with that same knowing look in them that Bella kept looking at me with and the same one that Rosalie had when she came back into the house after speaking with her. It was like they had their own little inside joke and knew something that I didn't. He huffed once then turned to look at Bella.

Jazz knew the pain was coming from me, I could hear it in his thoughts and he knew where it was coming from.

_Edward, I don't think you being in here is good for your psychological wellbeing._ I sighed and slid down the wall. I knew he was right, but it didn't mean that I wasn't going to keep doing it.

I love her and she didn't even know who I was...I'm a stupid bastard for even leaving her in the first place.

Bella slid out of bed and walked over to her closet. I almost groaned aloud at what she was wearing. Instead of the tank top I thought she had on, she was wearing a sinfully short nightgown that left little to the imagination. But maybe that was _my_ imagination playing tricks on me.

"Mom?" Nessie called out. Bella only hummed in response. "Miranda called. She said to tell you there's going to be a council meeting in a few days."

Bella froze, holding onto a pair of jeans, before relaxing and continuing what she was doing. "What did she say it was about?" she asked nonchalantly.

Renesmee sat on the bed Indian style, hugging a pillow to her chest. "Just that she wants you at the council meeting instead of Ashley this time…Miranda said that, umm…if Ash went she'd start a fight. Also, she said not to bring Andrew like you planned to." Bella snorted under her breath once, pulling a dark blue shirt from a hanger.

"What? Did she think that I was really going to bring him with me with the way he looks right now?"

"She said you'd say that." From here I could see Bella roll her gold eyes. I watched as she picked up a pair of worn purple Converse and threw them blindly behind her. Renesmee caught them midair, her eyes wide. "I've been looking for these."

"Well they've been in here the entire time…" Bella sighed as she walked over to her bedside table. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out two large shards of rocks. Before anyone had a chance to do anything she threw them behind her. One fell into my lap while the other landed gracefully into Carlisle's hands.

He turned the rock over and over in his hands, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he examined the piece of rock. _I wonder why she kept something like this… _The thought trailed off as Bella turned to face us, her gaze focusing on me then him. "Now I don't have to decide; Carlisle, Edward, you're coming with me and Miranda to the council meeting," she said, running a hand through her hair. Bella kissed Renesmee's forehead before walking out of the room. "If you need me I'll be at the store later training new employees," she called back to us.

Alice perked up at the word 'store' and yelled, "What store, Bella?" before running after her.

Jasper shook his head then followed after her with everyone following after him. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Well, it looks like I'm going to this council meeting with Bella in a few days. I hope nothing happens while we're there…

* * *

**Are you as surprised as I am that I've updated earlier than usual? I feel like I've accomplished something and now I can work harder to finish this story…If you want to leave a review that would be great. You don't have to, but don't you want to give a little today? It'll make me feel much better about myself because lately I've been feeling down, if you know what I mean…So, that's it today.**

**Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that there is a Flickr page for this story on my profile, so check it out!**

**Until next time, Gem  
06-10-11**


	8. Party Crashers

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else but her.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 8: Party Crashers**

_**Edward POV**_

Bella turned her little Audi down a side road to bypass the traffic on Main Street. "Whatever you do, don't call me by my real name…Call me Katherine or Kate," she whispered, fidgeting with the sleeve of her dark cloak as we sat at a red light at an intersection.

Carlisle turned toward her in the passenger seat with a curious expression. "As in Katherine Volturi?" Bella nodded as the light turned green.

Miranda rolled one of the windows down an inch and breathed in deeply as the air from outside the car blew in. Before she could roll the window down anymore, it was being closed. Bella's sharp glare was fixed on Miranda the entire time in the mirror as she hissed something in a language that neither Carlisle nor I understood. Miranda glanced at me once with her ocher eyes before turning her gaze out the window.

"Katherine's supposed to be my estranged niece, the kids' crazy cousin who tried to kill herself," she said, acting as if nothing had just happened. Bella rolled her eyes, stopping the car in front of the building of a law firm.

We all stepped from the car, Bella and Miranda lingering behind Carlisle and I. Carlisle smiled at me, his eyes alight with curious excitement for the unknown. "Jenks and Somers, Attorneys at Law," he read aloud. "What do you think of Mystic so far, Edward? I like it here. There are so many interesting people here if you ask me." I shrugged at him, avoiding his disappointed look. He sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Edward, I know that it's hard to come to terms with her memory loss of you and of our family, but you need to accept that she doesn't want to know about her human life. And most importantly that she's happy now." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"I know that, Carlisle, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it," I said, lowering my voice. I glanced behind us and watched as Bella tried to stop herself from causing a scene on the sidewalk beside Miranda. "Carlisle, something is going on."

"What do you mean, Edward?" He started thinking of different scenarios, each one worse than the last.

I shook my head. "No, nothing like that. I think it has to do with Bella and Renesmee."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Renesmee keeps tell me all kinds of things. Whenever she talks about her father, she looks at me like I should know who he is. And Bella looks at me like she wants to tell me something, but can't…It's so frustrating not knowing what's going through her head." Before Carlisle could say anything, Bella suddenly blew past us, holding the hood close to her face.

"Come on. We're wasting time standing around out here," she called back, walking into the building.

**~~~~~~MS~~~~~~**

"Jason Jenks' office, please hold," a soft voice said. The sound of buttons and keys on a keyboard being pressed was the only thing that could be heard other than the air conditioner blasting in the background.

As we turned the corner I saw the face that accompanied the voice. Sitting behind the desk, answering phones and furiously taking down notes, was a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair and no heart beat. As we approached, the girl's head snapped up to look at us, her gold eyes widening in shock as she saw Miranda step into the room behind us. Just as fast as it appeared, her shock disappeared.

The phone rang again and the girl picked it up, answering with a false cheeriness. "Jason Jenks' office, this is April speaking. How may I help you?" she asked. April continued to speak to the person on the other end after pausing for a second, her voice becoming more irritated with every passing moment.

As we waited, Bella leaned on her desk, waiting for the girl to finish the call. Before Carlisle could even sit in one of the seats that made up the reception area, April slammed the phone down on the receiver. "That bitch! She's starting her crap again with that damn old woman," she raged. "This is the kind of behavior that's going to expose us one of these days!"

Bella lunged for her just as she picked up the flower vase resting on the desk. "April, calm down! What are you talking about? What bitch?" Bella pushed her back down into the chair, putting the vase out of April's reach. "Who are you talking about, April?"

"That damn succubus that lives next door to Jay! That old woman who lives on the other side of the succubus just called for the eighth time this month. I swear, if she calls again I'm going to go down there myself and kill the bitch she calls neighbor for the old woman," she seethed, tearing up a piece of paper and throwing it into the air like confetti. "I fucking _hate_ succubi and incubi. They're poor excuses of vampires. Even the traditional ones are better than them! At least they clean up behind themselves properly."

Bella's brow furrowed as she went through the notes on the desk. "Wait. You don't mean old Mrs. Hammond, do you? The old school nurse at Forks High?" She nodded. Bella snickered under breath once, shaking her head. "What did the old bat tell you the other day?"

April rolled her eyes. "The fucking succubus was caught burying another dead body of a human in her backyard three mornings ago. The cops were called – your father was there – and they arrested her for manslaughter and battery and assault on an officer of law. Last night her incubus lover bailed her out. And just now Mrs. Hammond called _again_ to complain that the bitch was outside burying another body," she snarled, pulling at the ends of her hair. "I just wish she would call the cops.

"I'm going to cut a bitch if I get _one_ more call from Mrs. Hammond," she sighed.

Miranda smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, squeezing the girl tight to her side. "How about you don't, sweetheart? It's not polite to go around slashing little whores with kitchen knives."

April rolled her eyes, shaking her arm off and taking a step away from Miranda. "Fine, I won't go out and do that tonight. But why can't they keep it in their pants? I don't understand."

Bella leaned toward her with a wicked glint in her eye, her voice lowering into a menacing tone. "April, they FUCK humans because that's what they're born to do. They FUCK and they FUCK and then, they _feed_. Succubi and incubi don't care if they get caught. If they do, they _seduce_ their way out. And then they kill. It's in their nature. Using their sex drive is their easiest way of catching prey…That's what makes us different from them."

"How?" April asked incredulously.

"I told you. They fuck their prey and right in the middle, they drink. And then they leave, the bed a bloody mess and a vampire-ravaged body left to be found. Traditional vampires, they just…how can I put it?" Bella trailed off then smiled, her perfect lips curling into a sneer. "Oh, that's right. They lure their prey into dark spaces where no one would think to look for the individual, leaving no evidence that they were ever there in the first place."

"Bella," Miranda sighed. "There's no need to be so blunt. I think April understands that they're sex demons and we're dangerous predators. Don't you, April honey?" she asked, resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. She nodded, looking anywhere but at Bella.

_God, why is she so intimidating? I know she won't hurt me, but seriously Bella sometimes acts like she wants to hurt me…Maybe she was the one who asked Jason why he picked me over all those other girls while I-I _burned_… _I stared at the scared girl as she started to clean her already tidy desk, avoiding any and all eye contact with Bella the entire time.

Why would Bella ask Jason why he chose the girl over everybody else? She seems like she would be the one encouraging him to follow his heart…I shook my head, dispelling those thoughts, and watched as Miranda picked up the phone as soon as it started to ring.

"Jason Jenks' office, this is April speaking. How may I help you?" she said, perfectly imitating April's voice as if it was her own.

Miranda smiled softly, her eyes – suddenly a dark black – twinkling with mischief as she watched April struggle to find her voice. "Yes, I'll pass the message along to Miss Volturi. Good-bye." She placed the phone back on its cradle and lightly patted the girl's cheek. "Honey, close your mouth – you'll catch flies like that." April snapped her mouth shut with a dark look and organized a pile of already organized folders.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, settling her gaze on Miranda over the monitor of her computer.

In response, Miranda gave the young vampire a soft smile and said, "April, if I didn't you would have made a fool of yourself and started ranting about sex demons and how much you hate the one that lives next-door to Jason. But anyway, they're ready for us now."

At Miranda's announcement Bella approached me, her smile lighting up her entire face. "Will you escort me to the council meeting?" she asked me, her sweet smile only for me.

I smiled lopsidedly at her and held my arm out to her. "Of course, it would be my pleasure." Bella's breath hitched for a second until it returned to normal. She grinned, taking my arm.

"Thank you, I normally force my brother to do this. He's so stubborn some times," she said. I chucked under my breath then sighed as she leaned into me. Feeling her body pressed up against mine was like being in heaven and hell at the same time. I so desperately craved her touch like an addict craved their heroine. Just having her within my grasp was enough for forever. But it wasn't at the same time. I wanted to be able to hold her in my arms and kiss her senseless until she begged me to take her. I wanted to be able to look her in the eyes and tell her that I love her and hopefully have it returned.

It's all I want, but it might not even happen in the first place because of her memory loss. And maybe because I'm afraid of being rejected by her.

_I wish she remembered me from before; only not the part where I lied and left her, though…_

As we continued down the hall I kept catching Bella peeking up at me. Once she caught me looking back at her she looked as if she would have been blushing.

"What?" I asked, chuckling lightly at the chagrined look on her face.

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"It mustn't be nothing if you keep sneaking peeks at me."

Bella smiled up at me as we turned down one of the many halls in the large law firm. "It's just that your smile reminds me of Nessie's when she's happy," she told me, laughing lightly under her breath. "You must think I'm crazy."

I shook my head. "No, I don't. I think that you see a piece of daughter in everyone everywhere you go when she's not around." Bella chuckled.

"No, I think it's something else…Her smile is identical to yours." She smiled up at me again and laid her head on my arm, sighing.

Miranda suddenly blew past us, pushing open the double doors to a room at the end of the hall. Above the doors was a plaque that simply read "Conference Room C".

As we followed Miranda into the room, Bella quickly pulled the hood of her cloak tightly around her face bathing it in shadow. "Hopefully there won't be any fiascos like the last meeting," she muttered under her breath. I surveyed the room, taking in every face and noticing the eclectic clothing that they wore. Automatically you could tell who came with who just by the clothes that they wore and the similarity in physical characteristics.

Some were human, men and women alike, wearing long colorful robes and tall, pointy hats in the same colors and others were wearing bright eccentric clothes with rings on every one of their fingers and necklaces and large amulets of different kinds layered around their necks. There were little balls of light that zoomed pass everyone's heads, but if you looked again they were small, little people with lucid wings.

In one corner of the room were transparent men and women. Some looked normal, like everyday people but not, and others were beautiful women or hideous hags. In another corner stood, or rather lurked, shadow-like creatures of different shapes and sizes along with a tall Asian man with a small goatee and mustache ensemble in a tailored red silk suit. And there, sitting as far away as possible without sitting directly in front of us, sat a small group of two women and a man with no heartbeat. They looked like vampires with their everlasting beauty and perfect features, but more human with their normal eye colors and odd rush of blood that ran under their skin.

Miranda followed my gaze and reached up to lay a hand on my shoulder. "Don't trust them, figlio. Those sex demons will do anything just to sate their thirst, even if it means killing an innocent human...Oh, and whatever you do, don't bring up anything that would remind them about the witch hunt that happened a few years ago. They don't like that."

I nodded. "Will do, Miranda. That's um…nice to know."

She smiled up at me, showing off all of her razor-sharp teeth. "You don't know who's who, do you?" she said, lowering her voice until only we could hear.

"Yes, I'm a little lost, too," Carlisle said, leaning toward us. "This is so fascinating, all of these different kinds of people. I always knew that vampires weren't the only mythical creatures out there."

"Mmm, I know. I've traveled the world for nearly three millennia and I have seen _many_ things. And this is one thing that is _rarely_ seen at all. Starting on our left are the witches and wizards, then those empty seats belong to the fairies when they decide to grow to a more favorable size, and then the empty seats across from us belong to those _mutts_ in La Push. But don't tell them that - they've got their council and we have ours," she hissed. "Isn't that right, Bella?" Bella gave a tight lipped smile and nodded.

"Yes, on many occasions they've made it clear that they don't want anything that has to do with us _bloodsuckers_," she said, drumming her fingertips on the edge of the table.

"And moving on," Miranda trilled, causing everyone to stop their conversations and look at us. She smiled and gave a small wave. "Don't mind us," she told them with a sickly sweet smile before turning back to us rolling her eyes. "Persone cazzo…So we have our witches and wizards, fairies, _the dogs_, and then the distrustful sex demons, and finally the gypsies on our right." I frowned.

"But, Miranda, what about the others in the back of the room?" The corners of her mouth curled slightly as her gaze locked on the Asian man in the red silk suit then turned down into a frown, her eyes narrowing.

"The Asian man is Johnny Tran – he's one of the only demons you can trust. But that doesn't mean that he won't double cross you. No one knows what kind of demon he is, just that he is one. The shadow creatures are wraiths or furies; they do his bidding and protect the people Tran trust the most. They're demons too and can take human form when needed," Bella said, her voice hard. "The others are lost spirits who want to help us and the women are banshees."

"Bella, that's impolite to say," Carlisle admonished lightly.

Miranda chuckled. "No, really, they're banshees," she said. "Don't trust them, they only bring bad news. The only thing true they could tell you is when someone is about to die. Everything else is a lie."

Bella took a deep breath before glancing at the three of us. "Let's get this meeting started."

**~~~~~~MS~~~~~~**

"Okay, first order of business," Bella called out, clasping her hands tightly together and looking around the table, "Who called this emergency meeting?"

Johnny Tran stepped forward from the shadows. "I did. The few…_demons_, if that term can even apply to them," he said, gesturing to the two succubi and incubus, "in Mystic have been wrecking havoc on my clients. Most of them are dead and the ones who are still alive have left town, claiming that they have gone on vacation until further notice. It's giving me a bad rep in the city for my security company." He sighed, stroking his goatee with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. "Katherine, I would like to have them removed from the city and the surrounding area if everyone is in agreement."

Bella nodded, her gaze unwavering as she stood. All you could see were the piercing red eyes from underneath her hood and nothing else. It made her ominous looking but just enough to make everyone here listen to her authority with respect. Miranda said the eyes made the illusion that Katherine Volturi was Katherine Volturi, the niece of a powerful vampire ancient of our world, more believable. She also said that the eyes were an illusion that the cloak put over Bella as long as the hood was pulled over her head.

"Let's take a vote. All those in favor of exiling the sex demons…" Bella trialed off and raised her hand. Slowly everyone in the room raised their hands except for the three at the end of the table. "All those opposed…" This time only three hands went up.

Bella smiled and sat back in her seat. "That settles it. You and the rest of your kind have the rest of the week to leave Mystic and never return," she said.

The incubus suddenly stood, his chair tipping over. "That's not fair! You can't exile us from Mystic!"

"Oh, but we just did. It is unanimous, the entire council voted for your banishment," Tran sneered, malice dripping from every word as he leaned menacingly over them.

"You can't do this!" the blonde succubus wailed, looking towards us with pleading eyes.

Miranda smirked then slowly stood from her seat beside Bella. "If you don't leave Mystic every mythical being in this city has free rein to go hunting for your kind," she hissed, her entire demeanor changing from calm to furious as she slammed her hands down on the table, looking like a feral animal. "It will be open season and there will be no mercy. This has been coming for many years, especially with the recent murders by a certain Dinah Montenegro.

"Now, leave," she snarled.

The three of them stared at her for a full second before bolting from the room, screaming promises of spreading the news to the others.

Miranda sighed in content and just as she sat back down in her chair, the doors to the conference room burst open and a flustered April came running in.

"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. I don't know how they-" April was cut off by the sudden smell of wet dog drifting into the room, all of the vampires stiffened at once.

Miranda's eyes suddenly turned an angry flat black as she stood and closed the door. As she backed away from the door toward us, she pushed April behind her. "What do they think they are doing here?" she hissed too quietly for human ears.

In the minds of all of the witches and wizards and gypsies and all of the other mythical beings, I could only hear one question whispering through their minds.

_What's going on?_

Bella stood, her eyes no longer blood red as she pushed the hood back a little from her face, and moved to stand beside me, her hand brushing lightly with mine. "I hope they don't start to feel like they're welcome here after this little stunt that they're going to pull," she whispered, turning her beautiful face toward me. I chuckled under my breath.

"They're crazy for coming here," I murmured.

"I know," she sighed, fully taking my hand and squeezing it once before letting go. "Now I understand why Miranda didn't want Ashley here," she muttered under her breath.

Carlisle turned to her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?" Bella only shook her head and nodded towards the doors just as they burst open again.

Storming into the room were four men and a woman, all russet skinned with short cropped hair. They were all wearing cutoff jeans and plain tee-shirts with worn sneakers on their feet. Automatically I knew who, or rather _what_, they were. It wasn't like their horrendous scent didn't tip me off.

Carlisle stared at them, shocked, only one word going through his mind. _Wolves._

Miranda's mind on the other hand was suddenly very loud and very vulgar. _What the fuck are they doing here? Those motherfucking dogs…They changed their mind about coming here today! I _knew_ not to tell Ashskhen to come._

She blinked once, her rage suddenly subdued and turned toward me. _What are they doing here? Read their minds, mind reader._ I nodded and turned to the very hostile pack of dogs that Carlisle was planning to calmly try to speak to.

The dog in the front looked like he was the one in charge, so I looked into his mind first.

_Look at all of the filthy bloodsuckers here. I wonder if some of these people here know what they are…_I broke off from his thoughts just as Bella stepped away from my side.

Miranda's eyes flashed in anger as she looked at her. "Isabella Marie, don't you dare," she hissed.

"It's the only way, Miranda, and you know that," Bella whispered, moving to stand a few feet away from the Quileutes.

What does she think she's doing? Bella shouldn't sacrifice herself like to protect us.

Bella looked back at us once, the expression on her face was sad with a hint of hopefulness. The one in front took one look at her and attacked Bella without a single thought. But before it could turn to its dog form, she gripped the man by the throat.

My entire being was in shock as I stared at the spectacle in front of me. Bella had the dog in a tight grip around the neck, his feet barely touching the ground. It was frightening and surprising all at the same time. This truly displayed how strong she really was, physically and emotionally. Bella was prepared to die for us in a heartbeat.

Bella looked up into the mutt's face, her expression hard, unreadable. "Don't you dare attack my family, Jacob Black. Your people have no claim over this land." Then, shocking everyone in the room, Bella pushed the hood completely off her head, revealing her true identity to everyone.

I could hear the whispers from every single person in the room, their light whispers going up in volume.

"That's Bella Swan!"

"I know! I can't believe she's lied to us about who she was."

"I wonder who Katherine Volturi _really _is."

"I wonder if there even _is_ such a person!"

But in their minds, each of them were asking the same question – why was Bella hiding the fact that she wasn't Katherine Volturi?

I blocked out all of the voices and focused on what was going on in front of me. Bella still had the dog – or Jacob Black as she called him – tight in her grip. "Now, tell me what you're doing here, shape-shifter. Enlighten us as to why you think you and your pack of mongrels can storm in here like you own the place," she demanded.

The dog looked down at her in shock. "Bella?" he whispered, his astonishment evident in the two syllables.

Her eyes widened slightly before she dropped the dog back to his feet and slowly backed away until she bumped into my chest. "How do you know my name?"

The dog looked at her in wonder like he couldn't believe she was really here. "You know my name but you don't know who I am? Bella we were friends twenty years ago. Don't you remember?" Bella shook her head, hiding herself behind me.

"I don't know you and nor do I plan to remember either," she said, looking at him from over my shoulder. I could feel her breath whispering over my skin, almost making me shiver.

"Leave, dog. Now."

The mutt stared at her, his expression hardening with every passing moment. "Sure, sure. We'll leave, but I hope that your _precious_ Cullens don't hurt you again," he sneered, his lip curling up over his teeth. He looked at her for a moment then settled his baleful gaze on me.

_If he breaks her heart again, I'll kill him myself. She deserves someone human, like her. _I stared back at him, knowing that he was talking about me, but it didn't change the fact that I was going to kill _him_ if he so much as laid a finger on her, treaty or no treaty.

Together, with the entire length of Bella's body pressed deliciously to my back her head peeking over my shoulder, Miranda holding a protective stance in front of April, Carlisle standing firmly by my side, and everyone else staring slack jawed at Bella, we watched as the dogs retreated to their little reservation and away from us. And as the last one left the room, Bella linked my arm with hers and looked at the others in the room. "Do any of you have problem with me being me?"

They all shook their heads but Johnny Tran walked toward us, determination set in his eyes. "Just one question. Why did you lie and say you were Katherine Volturi?"

Miranda gave a sarcastic smile and pushed us toward the door. "That's a discussion for another time. Perhaps at the next council meeting – next month maybe?" She pushed us out the door, leaving them no room to answer. "Let's get out of here before they come storming out of that room."

April smiled at us. "I wish I could go with you guys, but I've got to stay and get the wet dog smell out of the office."

Miranda gave a sharp laugh, placing a hand over her heart. "You can try, honey. But if Aro was here he would get the smell right out for you faster than you would ever imagine."

"What do you mean, Miranda?" Carlisle asked. She only smiled and shook her head before leading us out of the building.

As we walked out of the law firm, I thought back to what that dog had thought and looked down at Bella, wondering what that dog saw when he looked at her.

Bella looked up at me, her eyes searching my face. "What's wrong, Edward? You look so confused," she asked, smoothing the crease between my eyebrows with the fingers of her free hand as we continued to walk.

I looked down into her amber eyes, noting the genuine concern there. "Jacob Black. He thinks you're human."

* * *

_**figlio**__** – boy, sonny**_

_**persone**__**cazzo**_ _**– fucking people**_

**Okay, first thing first, I know that it's been a long time since the last update. It's been here, in this jumbled mess of a brain. I even wrote the beginning and end of this chapter last month, just had to write a middle! But it ended up being hard than I thought it would. As you're reading this I'm writing an outline to all of the future chapters and will have estimation as to how many there will be next time.**

**Second, if you people are looking for good recs just look at my Favorite Stories! There is a wide array of one-shots, short stories, and lengthy little numbers with the occasional run off track of when they aren't focused on our two lovebirds (aka Bells and Ed).**

**Again, if you haven't checked out my profile, there is a link to Flickr page with all of the pics to the story…So, check it out. Also I wrote a new poem, so I hope that you check that out, too.**

**Till next time, Gemini  
7-21-11**


	9. Interrogation, Volturi Style

**I don't own "Twilight" it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Not me, not you, and most definitely not anybody else.**

…**And on with the story.**

* * *

**Memory Loss**

**Chapter 9: Interrogation, Volturi Style**

_**Bella POV**_

As soon as we got home Miranda called Ashley and then Ashley called me and then the next morning we got into my car and drove to her house. And the entire time it was like all I heard was complaining.

First there was Andrew who was moaning and bitching about why he had to come with us. Then there was Anthony who was crying and crying and crying with Paola trying to calm him down. It was like being in a mad house, but only we were in my car. The only ones who weren't making noise were James and Renesmee. James was lucky; he didn't want to drive his car or go with the Cullens and there was no room for him in my car so he got to run there. And Nessie, she had her headphones stuck over her ears and was ignoring everyone in the damn car, including me.

By the time we got to Ashley's house I was so happy to get out of my own car.

And then by the time we all got out of the car, Ashley already had the door open and was standing in the doorway. She was feral looking, growling at everything that moved. It was like she wanted to kill someone.

I stopped beside her as everyone filed pass her one by one, James suddenly appearing the moment Paola walked up to the door and slipping his arm protectively around my sister's shoulders as she carried Anthony in. As soon as Alice, Rosalie, and Edward arrived to represent the Cullens and were in the house, I turned to Ashley.

"What's going on, Ashley? Miranda freaked out and ran out into the forest just to call you as soon as I got back to the house. When she got back she wouldn't say anything to anyone. And then you! You called me and barely gave me a second to say anything this morning and all you said was, Get your fucking ass over here and bring everyone and a couple of the Cullens. Then you hung up on me!"

She crossed her arms and leaned over me, her eyes crazed and wild. "Get in the house, Bella. Now. Before I make you myself," she snarled.

Then Miranda pulled up to the curb, slamming the door of her Aston Martin, and was suddenly standing beside us. "Don't you dare speak to Isabella like that, Ashskhen!" she hissed, twisting her daughter's arm behind her back like a pretzel.

"I'm just going to go inside," I said, slipping pass them both and timidly sitting down on the couch beside Nessie. I took one look at the living room and said the first thing that came to mind. "What the hell happened in here?"

"Mom went crazy last night when she got home, breaking all kinds of things. As you can see, we have a new television after the disaster that occurred here," Luna said, coming down the stairs and sitting down on the arm of the loveseat where her father sat.

I sighed and leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes. Having to get a new TV was tame compared to the usual damage that Ashley typically inflicted upon her house. Sebastian and Luna must have been in the house and restrained her last night. Otherwise there might have been a huge gaping hole in the wall.

Like last time…

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the couch. It was like living in a waking nightmare everyday with these goddamn Volturi people, they just ask for all this crap to come to them all the time. I swear, Ashley picks more fights than anyone else in the entire family. Sometimes I wonder if she _likes_ getting into fights with people.

I opened my eyes and come face to face with Edward's concerned one. "You look stressed out."

I nodded. "Ashley has serious anger problems and starts more fights than any other person I know. It's actually her biggest flaw." I nudged Renesmee lightly in the arm. "It _is_ the one she depicted in her figurine, right?" I asked her. She nodded, a wide grin stretching over her face.

Rose leaned toward us, curiosity written all over her face. "Figurines, huh? Do you mean the ones in the library?" she asked.

"Yeah, those are the ones. Each one is like a smaller version of everyone in the family. I've been getting them since my very first Christmas," Ness told her.

"Who makes them, Nessie?" Alice wanted to know.

"Everyone makes their own figurine and has to make them as life-like as possible. It has to look just like you. But there's a catch. You have to show your greatest flaw through the figurine so that none of us can say that we're perfect when we're obviously not."

A wide smile formed on Alice's face as she started to vibrate in her spot in between Edward and Rosalie. "That sounds like fun, maybe that'll be a future gift to you someday from each of us Cullens."

"Good luck with that Alice. It took everyone a while to get them just right," I said to her.

Ness gave me her crooked smile, her chocolate eyes shining with unabashed pride. "But not you, Mom." I smiled and nodded in agreement.

"What do you mean?" I looked up at Edward and smiled again.

"I've made Nessie six statues of myself from different periods of my life starting with one from when I was human and each one was made on my first try," I said.

Nessie looked at me, her eyes big and full of shock. Whoops, I think I forgot to tell her about the other ones. "You made me _six_! But I only thought there were four," she exclaimed, pulling at my arm. "One where you're human, you're pregnant with me, you're a vampire, and one of you standing with a faceless man with my hair color." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward flinch when she mentioned the faceless man. It seems like he didn't like it anyone talking about me with another man, no less another vampire.

"I made one to replace the one of me as a vampire because the old one isn't depicting my greatest flaw anymore. And the other is to replace the one of me and the faceless man. I'll give it to you when I want you to know what I truly want for the rest of my eternity," I told her, giving her a pointed look.

"You mean that a statue is your answer to my question? What do you want for the rest of your eternity?" she whispered in wonder. I nodded and pulled her into a tight hug, automatically feeling the heat that was rolling off her skin in waves and seeping through my clothes. Her temperature ran a solid 105 degrees at all times. If she was a normal human she would have been dead.

When we pulled away Nessie laid her hand on my cheek and asked only one question, wonder and curiosity her dominant emotions.

_Is it Dad that you want?_

I gave her a smile that revealed nothing and pulled her hand away. "That's cheating, sweetheart. I'm not telling you." She pouted but nodded anyway.

Suddenly all conversation stopped as Ashley walked into the room with Miranda lingering in the doorway behind her, her eyes averted from looking anyone in the face as we all stared her. She was obviously a lot calmer, but that didn't mean that she wasn't hiding all of her rage. Miranda must have really chewed her out to make her stop growly at everybody.

Ashley stopped on the other side of the coffee table and finally looked up at us. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and regret, but mostly anger at whatever she was keeping to herself. I realized then that whatever it was must have been really bad to have made her ask us all here together at once.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted before. It's just that something the wolves said isn't settling well with me…But I have to ask you, what part of don't go on to the reservation don't you understand?" Ashley questioned, starting to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. Her voice was so soft and calm, like she was whispering sweet nothings to a lover. But she doesn't do that unless she's alone with Seb and obviously she's not alone. Plus she's never calm like this unless she's trying to keep her cool and not blow her top.

Miranda had once told her that she needed to start controlling her temper before she was pulled apart, limb from limb, by her own family.

"I told you people a thousand times over the past twenty-five or so years - don't go on to the reservation. Do not under any circumstances step foot onto La Push. Do not start any unnecessary feuds with those fucking mutts." She stopped to take a deep breath, blowing it noisily through her teeth "Now. Do not make me go all Volturi on your ass and start the torturing of the fools. Tell me who went on the reservation."

Ashley stopped her pacing and took to impatiently tapping her foot rapidly as we sat silently before her. Nobody said anything and only stared at her, which only proved to irritate her even more.

"Fine," she huffed. "How about this? When I met with the fucking dogs last night after Mom told me they'd interrupted the council meeting to ask why they had come barging in, the lead dog of one of the packs told me that one our kind had stepped onto their land eight days ago. Do any of you have anything to say about that?" Again, her question was met with silence.

Ashley pursed her lips and stared at us, her eyes narrowing to slits. "We have all the time in the world, you know."

Luna rolled her eyes. "We know that, Mom. We _are_vampires after all."

Ashley gave her a tight lipped smile before looking back at everyone else. "Now, I know that it couldn't have been any of the Cullens or Paola and James because they didn't arrive until four days ago. So it must be one of you," she surmised, pointing a finger at me, Nessie, Andrew, Jason, Luna, Nick, and Caroline.

Andrew sat on the side of the couch beside me and raised an eyebrow at her. "And how do we know it wasn't you, Ash?"

"If it was me, do you think I would be asking you?" she hissed. He shook his head. "I didn't think so."

"So, who shall I start with first?" she asked, tapping her chin with one of her blood red nails in contemplation. "How about you, Bella? Where were you eight days ago?"

I stared into her suddenly cold, calculating eyes, not letting her get the chance to intimidate me. Ashley has all these mind games that she likes to use on people, even her own family, but they don't work on me. I grew up with her twisted mind. I knew what she was capable of and I've seen it firsthand.

And let me just say that sometimes she's not all that forgiving when someone decides to stab her in the back.

I smiled up at her, calm and serene. "Ashley, I was at the store all day. I was shelving all of the new merchandise that came in the week before...You even came in at two to drop off some lunch for the kids that work in there." She blinked at me, her left eye mysteriously twitching as she continued to stare at me.

"She's right, Aunt Ashley." She turned her penetrating gaze onto Jason. "I was there with her the entire time with Grandma in the back room. We were helping her." Jay's voice turned to a soft whisper as Ashley suddenly started to glare at him.

She scowled then, starting her pacing again. "They're telling the truth," she muttered to herself. "But they were so sure it was her...Damn mutts and their faulty sense of smell." Ashley turned back to us, resignation the only emotion I could identify among the many that brewed the storm behind her butterscotch irises. "You're right; you were at the store all day, Bella. I just wanted to see if you were lying to me."

I frowned at her. Why would I lie about being in the store? The only use you'd get out of lying to her would be making her light-years beyond angry and most likely get one of us arrested for domestic disturbance. Again. The last time that happened she and Sebastian left the country and didn't come back for two months, leaving us with no way of contacting them.

Other than a frantic false vision to get them to come home, courtesy of Luna and Miranda, that is.

"You ask questions like Aro, Ashley," I said. "You already know the answers you're looking for from the person, but ask anyway just to prove a point." She closed her eyes and nodded before flopping down onto the love-seat next to Seb. "If we weren't your family you would have tortured us by now, threatened to kill us."

"I know," she groaned, carelessly throwing an arm over her eyes. "Those fucking dogs told me it was you on the reservation. I just didn't want to believe it even though I obviously knew you were shelving merch all day since the fucking crack of dawn."

I snorted derisively and shook my head. "What use would I get from going there? I have no reason to go to the beach or to any part of La Push in general. And I sure as hell wouldn't kill any of those people." I trailed of and thought back to what she said as it hit me like a ton of bricks. "Wait, they thought it was _me _on the reservation?"

Ashley sat up and nodded her head, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip like it was her last lifeline as she stared at me. Worry and unease were two things that I had never seen on her face until now. It was odd, really. One would have thought she would have been like this when Victoria attacked me in the final months of my pregnancy or when Renesmee had been born in the violent way that she was.

But no, she wasn't.

Ashley was calm and collected, ready to sooth away any fear or doubt from anyone who thought they were going to die. Even when Renesmee had torn her way out of my body, she was trying to calm everyone down, like she was trying to slow time down just long enough to make sure that both me and my baby would survive one way or another. It was one of those reasons that made her a good surgeon, too. Any surgery she happened to be in that would suddenly take a turn for the worst, Ashley would make sure that everything was calm just enough for her to work her magic.

Ashley scrubbed her face with both hands, suddenly looking much older than she really was physically. It scared me.

"Yes, and since you are the mother to, and I quote, an abomination of a child that shouldn't exist, they are going to try and exterminate all the vampires closest to you and her, saving you both for last," she sighed, her eyes the saddest I had ever seen them. "I'm sorry, Bella."

I nodded at her apology, suddenly feeling angry and numb at the same time. No one threatens to kill my family just because I had a daughter with a vampire. I wanted to go down to La Push and kill a few of those fucking dogs myself, but it didn't change the fact that my daughter was also threatened, too. The thought of someone just taking her away from me made me want to lock myself and Ness away from others, never to be seen again.

Sometimes I wish that we were just a normal family in a normal world where everybody got along fine.

Rose suddenly spoke up, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Something's missing; there must be a reason why those dogs singled Bella out over the rest of you. Ashley, you even said that they were so sure it was her in the first place."

"You're right, Rosalie. When I spoke with them last night, they automatically said that it was Bella. That one of the wolves had seen her." My eyes narrowed as I turned what she said over and over in my head until it finally clicked.

I turned my gaze to Nessie as she fidgeted nervously beside me. After a full minute had passed, she finally turned to look me in the eye, her back straight, gaze unwavering.

"What did you do?" I asked her through gritted teeth.

She grimaced slightly and ducked her head, her brave façade crumbling as she looked away from me. "Gabe and some of our friends wanted to go to First Beach. I told him that I didn't want to go instead of telling him that I couldn't. But then he gave me that look and practically got down on his knees and begged me to go. I couldn't say no to him then," she cried, tears sliding down her beautiful face. I couldn't stand to see my baby cry.

I felt my face soften as I pulled her into my lap. "What did you do after that, sweetie?" She wrapped her arms around my neck before continuing.

"I asked Grandma for some of your old clothes from when you were human and wore them to the beach. They still had some of your human scent on them, Mom, so I thought that they wouldn't notice. When we got to the beach, I had the hood pulled up over my head and I didn't notice right away that I was being watched. And when I did, I realized it was one of the wolves. He kept staring at me…It, it was like he was a blind man staring at light for the first time, and it scared me. I didn't know what to do so I ran back to Gabe.

"You have to understand that I only went there in the first place was because I love him. I just love Gabe so much, Mom, and I didn't want to disappoint him," she hiccupped, looking everyone in the eye. I nodded and rubbed my hand up and down her back in a soothing pattern.

I know how she felt. She was compelled to do something for the one she loves.

The room fell silent, like no one knew what to do with the information.

"Who was the wolf who had seen Renesmee, Ashley?"

She looked up from the floor at Edward, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Jacob Black, why?"

My breath hitched.

I looked back at Edward, and shook my head in disbelief. "That's why he thinks you're human," he whispered, looking down at me. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…" I trailed off and froze, realizing something Ness had said that confirmed my worst nightmare. It all made sense now, I suppose, in some dark twisted kind of way.

My entire being shook violently as I crushed her to my chest. I could hear everyone's worried voices as they called out to me, but I couldn't respond to them.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." It was like a mantra as the single word passed through my lips. How could something like this even happen in the first place? It wasn't right on so many levels. It went against every instinct ingrained in me. Things like this weren't supposed to happen to us.

Somehow someone had pulled Renesmee out of my arms and I was sitting in Edward's lap as he whispered soothing words of comfort into my ear. Trying to get me to calm down.

After what seemed like forever, I finally relaxed in his arms and laid my head on his shoulder. It felt like I was admitting defeat to cancer as it sought to kill me from the inside out. I closed my eyes as I felt the sting of the venom pooling in my eyes for the first time, willing it to go away.

A strangled sob escaped my throat as I thought about it again, causing Edward's arms to flex around me and pull me tighter against his chest. If the situation was different and he knew the truth, I would have been happy to be in his arms. But it wasn't. He and most of my family, including our daughter, had just bore witness to my psychotic episode.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he whispered softly, stoking my hair, willing me to calm down.

Almost everyone had scattered from the room, trying to give me some space. I could hear Renesmee sniffling quietly beside us and it broke my heart all over again. Alice and Rosalie were standing behind her, breathing shallowly and watching every move I made, as if waiting for me to break down again. Paola was just sitting on the coffee table staring at me, her gold eyes sympathetic and worried. Behind her Andrew paced, much like Ashley had done before, muttering to himself, trying to figure out what made me react so strongly like I did.

They all probably thought I was crazy now. Ha. I really am related to Ashley.

We sat in silence, other than the occasional mumble from my brother, until he finally stopped dead in his tracks, freezing completely like a block of ice before relaxing and throwing his hands deep into his hair. "God, how could that have slipped past any of us? She said it right in our faces," he groaned.

"Drew?" Paola called out to him. He shook his head at her and appeared beside me and Edward, kneeling on the floor in front of us.

He stared intently at me, not saying a word. And then I knew. I knew that he knew. "It goes against everything that we know, doesn't it, Bella?" he said. I nodded then looked away. "What are you going to do?" Ah, that's the million dollar question.

"Try to keep him away from her, that's what I'm going to do."

Paola gasped then, her hand flying to her mouth as she slowly shook her head in denial. "No…No, it can't be possible!"

"What's not possible?" Alice asked her voice soft as she looked first at me and then my siblings. Edward pulled me tighter still against his broad chest, resting his chin on the top of my head, as another strangled cry passed through my lips. I closed my eyes and breathed in the sweet scent that wafted off his skin letting it help me calm down.

I locked eyes with Nessie as she stared at me, panic and concern swimming in her chocolate orbs, and said, "Jacob Black imprinted on Renesmee."

I knew she knew what imprinting was as she looked away from me and out the window. Her heart, already beating its fast rhythm like a hummingbirds wings, started to pump faster. Not in excitement, but in fear. I moved to pull away from Edward to comfort her, but he wouldn't let me. Okay, if he won't let me go I'll just stay here then. It's not exactly like I don't like being in his arms.

Rose's eyes flashed in anger then softened just as fast as she leaned toward us. For a moment there I thought she was going to attack us. "Please tell me you're joking, Bella. Please," she pleaded, her eyes beseeching. I shook my head.

"Rose, weren't you listening? She said that he looked at her like a blind man seeing light for the first time. Every imprinting story that I've heard from those dogs…they all say the same thing."

Miranda suddenly appeared behind the couch, a sad smile resting on her face. "Has it occurred to any of you that she might like him back? Maybe even love him?" All of a sudden it felt like I had picked up Ashley's mysterious eye twitch.

"Like him?" Nessie cried out hysterically, throwing her hands in the air. "Like him! I don't like him! And I will never _love_ him! He scares the shit out of me, Miranda. Gabriel Carter is the only person that I will ever love, you have to understand that." Her sudden hysterical outburst was enough to shock everyone and allow me to slip out of Edward's arms and pull her into mine.

Slowly I rocked her in my arms, her breaths slowing until she fell asleep in my arms. And once I was sure that she wouldn't wake any time soon, I turned to Miranda. "Obviously she doesn't love him, nor find any comfort in the mutt, but there's that large part where he thinks that she reciprocates the feelings, that their mutual."

"So what's the plan, Bella?" My gaze shot to Alice at her question and then I knew. I knew what we were going to do.

It was so simple.

"The plan, Alice, is to go on as we were and let things run their course. If he does something we'll deal with it in one way or another. But most importantly, we are not going to encourage Jacob Black in any way, shape, or form. And if anything else crosses our path we'll deal with it as we see fit, as one unit – a family."

I kissed Renesmee's forehead once before hugging her to my chest tightly once and then whispered, more to myself than to anyone else, "No one is going to hurt my baby girl…"

* * *

**Okay then…I don't know what to say. It's been more than a month since the last chapter, but whatever. I've had a lot of things going on, and I sorta feel like I've got the world on my shoulders. **

**I plan to finish this story no matter what…It's going to be somewhere around 20 chapters in the end or something like that, so not that long of a story in the end.**

**If you want you can check out the new story on my profile called "A New Dawn" – it's a collection of poems all about the Twilight Saga. I type them up then I post them there when sudden inspiration hits…**

**Until next time, Gemini  
08-26-11**


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